The Centerpiece
by elle6778
Summary: COMPLETE. Itachi had chosen to involve Sakura in something that he did not wish for in the first place. What he did not expect was for her to quickly become the centerpiece of the events surrounding him. Ita-Saku Non-massacre AU. Sequel to The Chance.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

Title: The Centerpiece

Author: elle6778  
Rating: T/PG-13 (If there are any M-rated scenes, these will be posted elsewhere)  
Genre: Action/Romance

Summary: Non-massacre AU. Itachi had chosen to involve Sakura in something that he did not wish for in the first place. What he did not expect was for her to quickly become the centerpiece of the events surrounding him.

A/N: This is the sequel to The Chance. It took a while to get this up, but at least it's here now, right? If you're familiar with my work, you'd know that this story is likely to be quite long. Also, I'm aware of the canon Uchiha's background, but in this story, it is a little mangled since it is a non-massacre-AU. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the introduction to the story.

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 1**

A battered weapons pouch flew across the room, hitting the cream-colored wall before it dropped down to the floor with a dull thud. There, it lay still as its owner trudged across the bedroom, looking as if she was about to shatter into a million pieces.

Sakura groaned out loud as she sank into her bed fully clothed. All she wanted to do was to sleep for the next forty-eight hours. Much to her annoyance, images from the last few days flashed across her eyes. Team Kakashi had gone through what seemed like countless number of battles with the rogue nins before they finally got their hands on the stolen scroll. It had been a difficult mission. Come to think of it, Tsunade had been giving them increasingly complicated missions lately.

This was all Naruto's fault, Sakura thought moodily as she turned to her side.

Each time they stood in front of the Hokage, her boisterous blonde friend would demand harder and more challenging missions. Sakura did not understand what Naruto was trying to prove. It was not as if they had been doing D-rank missions in the first place. They had been working mostly on B-rank and A-rank missions, much as they had done over the last three years. Well, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke had been on more of them that she had, simply because in the past, they tended to leave her behind. But things had changed, since about eighteen months ago.

Since then, she had finally gotten what she wanted from Naruto and Sasuke; acknowledgement. So, instead of spending most of her time being a base medic in Konoha, for the last one and a half year, she had remained a field medic with Team Kakashi. Ever since that week when she went with Itachi on his ANBU mission, Naruto and Sasuke had never let her out of their sight. It was as if they were worried that a certain ANBU captain might snatch her up. The whole idea never failed to make her smile.

Not that their concerns actually made any difference when it came to Uchiha Itachi. That ANBU captain always got his way, no matter what went on around him. Which meant that ever since that first task, she had gone on a number of missions with his ANBU squad, much to Naruto's and Sasuke's consternation. The two of them had tried everything to stop Itachi, even to the extent of dragging Kakashi into the fray. But nothing deterred Itachi when he set his mind on something.

Sakura sighed heavily as she thought over her involvement in the ANBU missions.

At the beginning, she had found that she could not possibly say no to the older Uchiha. For one thing, since he was the one who had opened Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes to her abilities, she had felt quite indebted to him, making it difficult for her to refuse whenever he asked for her presence. Still, she had to admit that that was not the only reason. Which kunoichi in her right mind would refuse the chance to work with Konoha's best ANBU squad? That, in itself, was a privilege. A privilege that she did not think that she would ever give up.

But recently, she had begun to feel the stretch. It was enough to make her wonder if she was pushing herself a little too hard. Surely by now, she deserved just a little bit of a break? Or should she expect this to continue for the rest of her kunoichi career?

Sakura yawned widely. Enough of thinking about work. She needed to sleep now. When she was more awake, she would consider the issue again.

With that thought, she closed her eyes and began to drift off.

Sakura did not know how long she had slept, but the next thing she knew, a soft noise from outside distracted her, drawing a muffled groan from her. Someone was out there.

She was so tired that she could not even find the strength to open her eyes when her windows squeaked open. Unconcerned, she simply buried her face deeper into the pillow. There was no reason for her to be alarmed anyway because by now, she was able to recognize his presence, masked chakra or not.

The barely audible footsteps stopped beside her bed but she made no move to get up.

"Haruno."

She kept her eyes and lips firmly shut. Maybe if she pretended to be asleep, he would go away. Maybe he would show some hint of compassion this time and allow her to rest.

"You're awake."

So much for compassion.

Knowing that it was useless to continue to pretend, Sakura cracked an eye open. Uchiha Itachi was standing by her bed, staring down at her with his usual impassive expression. The fact that he was here did not bode well for her tired body. She had learnt over time that when Itachi turned up in her bedroom, it meant that she would soon be running around with his ANBU squad. This was how he usually delivered his mission briefs. He rarely approached her when she was with Team Kakashi, possibly because the instant tension that would arise, followed by the inevitable barrage of harsh words from Naruto.

"I need to sleep," she told him firmly, not moving an inch from her bed.

He quirked a single brow, instantly irritating her. Who did he think he was? He seemed to think that he had the right to demand her presence whenever he felt like it. But right now, she was too tired to try to pander to his whims. Yes, she still held him in great respect, but this was really too much. She needed sleep, damn it!

"What is it, Uchiha-san?" she gritted out as she sat up.

Unlike Genma, she did not find it comfortable to call him Itachi to his face. There was something about him that discouraged that extra step of familiarity. So she had been addressing him as either Taishou or Uchiha-san. Naruto and Sasuke had smirked when they discovered it, much to Sakura's bemusement. It was as if they were glad that there was some distance between her and Itachi. Perhaps it reassured Team Kakashi that she would always be closer to them. Not that they had anything to worry about.

"Your presence is required."

Sakura groaned as she buried her face in her hands. "Please tell me you didn't put me down for another mission."

"We are mobilizing tomorrow at eight in the morning. Be prepared, Haruno," he intoned, dropping a thin folder onto her bedside table.

Her eyes widened, guessing that the folder contained the mission brief. "Tomorrow? But I just got back."

"Therefore Team Kakashi will not require you for a while," he responded smoothly.

"But I'm not in the best condition to go out on an ANBU mission," she pointed out incredulously. "I can barely move now!"

"You will rest tonight."

She felt like whining. She really did. But since it was such an un-kunoichi thing to do, she suppressed the urge to do so. Maybe she should yell instead. Or let loose a single punch to that face staring down so imperiously at her.

Sakura allowed her mind to entertain all the possible suicidal ways of venting her frustration before she finally sighed in defeat.

"Fine," she muttered darkly. "I'll go. I take it you've already obtained the Hokage's approval?

He inclined his head. "I'll see you at dawn out by the gates."

"Great," she replied unenthusiastically.

Then he was gone.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she flopped back onto her bed.

Uchiha Itachi was going to be the death of her one day.

* * *

When Itachi woke up, the sky outside was still mostly dark. Dawn would be approaching soon, he thought as he stood up from his futon. Instantly alert, he began to gather his belongings for the mission ahead. He anticipated it to be a short mission, therefore they would not require extensive supplies.

Once packed and fully dressed in his ANBU attire, he slid open the shoji screen, letting in the soft rays of dawn light. He paused at the threshold momentarily, staring out into the cloudless sky. It would remain clear today, he surmised, which would allow them to travel efficiently to their destination.

Stepping out of his room, Itachi slid the screen shut behind him and strode down the wooden walkway. Not before long, he arrived at the main entrance of his home. It was still very early, but Itachi was unsurprised to see his father standing in the doorway, staring out into the courtyard. Uchiha Fugaku tended to rise with the sun.

As he drew closer to his father, Itachi greeted, "Good morning, Chichi-ue."

Turning around, his father inclined his head. "Itachi, you will be back in time for the clan meeting?"

Itachi suppressed a grimace of distaste. The clan meeting. He had forgotten about it, but now that his father had brought it up, Itachi had no doubt that they would bring up a most displeasing topic. Therefore, it was truly fortunate that he had become quite adept at filling all his time with his ANBU missions, and hence had a valid reason to excuse himself once again.

"No, Chichi-ue. I will not be present. Please extend my apologies."

Itachi was about to turn around to walk away when his father's voice stilled him. "Have you given any thought to what was mentioned in the last meeting? You weren't there, but I told you about it."

The last meeting and the dozen or so before it, Itachi thought dryly. How could he forget? They never let him.

"This is important, Itachi. You know that." His father paused briefly, and then continued, "If you don't choose soon, we will be forced to choose for you."

"Hm."

His father frowned. "I would prefer it if you made your own choice. After all, you will have to spend the rest of your life with her."

It was not as if he did not wish to fulfill his duty, even if it was to keep his father from badgering him every other day about it. But no one seemed to understand that to take a wife was tantamount to exposing said wife to unknown levels of danger. None of them knew that he could not afford such an obvious vulnerability, at least, not until he disposed of the threat.

He supposed he could choose a wife who could protect herself. However, it was not the type of danger that could be handled by anyone but the exceptionally skilled, which meant a kunoichi. Kunoichi of such caliber generally balked at the notion of being tied down to wifely duties demanded by the Uchiha clan, for it meant sacrificing her career. It was not something Itachi would wish upon anyone, provided that he could even find such a self-sacrificing individual.

Not for the first time, Itachi wondered if he should relate the nature of the threat to the clan. Or perhaps the Hokage. However, each time he thought of it, something prevented him from doing so. Perhaps it was simply because he did not know who could be trusted with the information.

Besides, he needed more information about the nature of the threat. And in the meantime, in order to minimize confrontations with his father and his clan, he would continue to take as many missions as he could so that he remained away from Konoha, and hence, the troublesome demands of his clan.

"Itachi. Are you listening? Are you doing something this?"

His father's impatient voice brought Itachi out of his contemplations. He had to say something to appease the clan, much as he disliked it. Keeping his expression even, Itachi inclined his head respectfully.

"Yes, Chichi-ue. It is under control."

Fugaku looked far from convinced. However, much to Itachi's relief, his father allowed the subject to drop. Conversation over, Itachi stepped past his father to make his way to the main gates of the Uchiha compound.

The empty streets of Konoha greeted him as he walked between the rows of shops. It was still too early for them to open. However, he could see a flash of silver near the bookshop, recognizing it as Hatake Kakashi's hair. Idly, he wondered why was the Copy-nin awake so early in the morning. It was a well-known fact that the silver-haired shinobi did not wake up earlier than was truly necessary.

Inhaling the crisp morning air, Itachi headed towards Konoha's main gates to meet the rest of his squad. When he reached the rendezvous point, he saw that the two male members of his team were already there.

"You're usually here before the rest of us," Shiranui Genma remarked casually, a senbon hanging from the corner of his mouth. "Everything okay?"

Itachi nodded once and then glanced around. Everyone except their medic was there.

Answering his unspoken question, Shino murmured, "Sakura is not here yet."

"So, she IS coming?" Genma asked, fingering the ANBU mask at his neck.

"Hm."

Grinning, Genma rubbed his hands together. "Ah. Good to know that."

Sakura arrived not long afterwards, drawing their collective attention. The shadows under her eyes told Itachi that she was far from rested. It was not surprising, considering she had only returned from a week-long mission last night. Perhaps he should not have included her in this mission. However, this was a mission that would benefit from her skills. He would not have requested her presence otherwise, would he?

It was then that it occurred to him that over the last eighteen months, Sakura had been present in more than half of their ANBU missions. Unsurprisingly, in one way or another, their missions always benefited from her skills. Over the last one and a half year, her skills had developed further and she had proven over and over again that she could be relied upon as a team member. Therefore, it was hardly unexpected that he often sought her out, was it?

And yes, it had to be Sakura because he had no intention of settling for second best.

"Hey, Sakura. Are you alright?" Genma asked as they began to move away from the gates.

The kunoichi nodded, strapping on her mask but leaving it dangling around her neck like the rest of them. "Of course."

"She looks tired," Shino observed flatly.

"I am tired." She shot an accusing look at Itachi. "But guess who insisted that I join in."

Genma laughed. "He persuaded you, huh? Well, who knew that the Uchiha Itachi could be so charming? I thought that particular trait is all mine."

Chuckling softly, Sakura drawled, "Of course, Genma. Whatever you say."

The senbon-user moved to her side, waggling his brows. "Oh? I think you need more convincing."

Sakura blinked. "Huh?"

Itachi's brow drew closer as Genma adopted what he called his 'charming' expression. Perhaps he should speak the shinobi about flirting during missions, though it was obvious that Genma was not being serious about it. Besides, Sakura should know better than to entertain Genma's dubious attentions.

"Of my charms," Genma pointed out.

"Oh. That," Sakura intoned flatly. "Go on, give it your best shot, Genma."

Genma shook his head, wearing a mournful look. "See, that's not how you should react. Others would have been blushing by now."

Shino apparently had heard enough. "Drop it, Genma. Sakura's not one of your playthings."

Reaching over to smack the younger shinobi on the shoulder, Genma pointed out cheerfully, "It's just harmless flirting, Aburame."

Shino grunted.

"Thanks, Shino. But I think I can protect my virtue against perverts like Shiranui," Sakura teased. She cracked her knuckles. "I don't think he has forgotten my fists."

Itachi's lips twitched as Genma winced visibly, obviously recalling the one time he had challenged Sakura to a fistfight. The kunoichi had shown him that she was not to be underestimated when it came to taijutsu.

"Yeah, you could defend yourself, alright," Genma muttered.

Itachi returned his attention to the path before them. Genma's words struck something within him. Unconsciously, his thoughts went back to his earlier musings. Sakura was certainly one of those kunoichi who was capable of defending herself. In addition to that, hypothetically speaking, she met all the requirements of what was expected of an Uchiha's wife. After all, she was the Godaime's apprentice.

But he knew that Sakura would not entertain such a notion. If she wished for marriage, she would have done so half a year ago. And yet, she was here with his ANBU squad, instead of being ensconced in the Hyuuga compound like the other wives. Usually, Itachi paid no interest to gossips. But Genma had seen fit to inform them of what he had heard. Apparently, the relationship between the Hyuuga and Sakura had broken down when the kunoichi realized that she would have to give up her career as a kunoichi. Although he had said nothing at that time, Itachi was somewhat relieved that his first choice of medic was still available to his squad.

To think of Sakura and marriage at the same time struck him as inappropriate. Besides, it was not something he intended to broach with her. Her response to such a notion would no doubt be overly violent. The kunoichi would introduce her fists to his face if he ever mentioned such a thing, Itachi thought, bemused. Furthermore, it would damage their professional relationship.

No. The situation was not critical enough for him to consider such a drastic action.

* * *

It was not there yet.

Kakashi stared mournfully at the colorful bindings of the books lined up in neat rows before him. All of them were familiar to him, but he had hoped to find a new one stacked on the shelves of the bookshop. Was the publisher late? Or was Jiraiya late again? How could he do this to his readers? It was cruel beyond words.

The wait for the new volume of Icha Icha was nothing short of agonizing.

Shoulders slumped, Kakashi turned away from the books and walked out of the bookshop. He supposed he had to come back tomorrow to check. And the next day, if the book was still not there. In the meantime, he would simply have to re-read the old volumes.

With that thought, Kakashi reached into his pouch, pulling out a colorful book. He flipped it open, reading as he walked towards the centre of the village. A familiar voice reached him just as he turned the corner around Ichiraku Ramen. He lowered his book to peer over it.

Naruto was waving at Hyuuga Neji, his boisterous voice drawing the attention of everyone within hearing distance. Sasuke was with the blonde, but he was remaining some distance behind Naruto. The Uchiha was obviously unwilling to go near the Hyuuga.

Ah, Sasuke and Neji were still at it, Kakashi mused.

"Oi, Neji! Have you seen Sakura?"

The Hyuuga paused, turning around to face Naruto. From the distance, Kakashi could see the puzzled look on Neji's face before he spoke.

"You misplaced your teammate, Uzumaki?"

Naruto threw his hands up in the air. "We looked for her all over the place! Where is she?"

A thoughtful expression crossed the Hyuuga's face. "Perhaps she is no longer in Konoha."

Naruto looked confused. "Huh?"

Perceptive as usual, Kakashi thought dryly. Barely half a day had passed since he saw Sakura leaving Konoha with the Uchiha's ANBU team, but he should have expected Naruto to raise a fuss. Neji obviously had guessed just as much, but then again, he supposed that the Hyuuga should know, seeing that he and Sakura were quite close at one point.

Too impatient to wait for the clarification, Naruto shook his head. "Never mind."

Then Kakashi froze as Naruto's eyes landed on him. Blue orbs narrowing in determination, Naruto set off just as Kakashi turned away, intending to escape the questioning session.

No such luck.

"Kakashi-sensei! Have you seen Sakura?" Naruto yelled, skidding to a stop beside him.

Kakashi slanted a sideway glance at the flushed face staring at him expectantly, questioningly. This time, Sasuke was close behind his blonde teammate.

Pretending not to hear, Kakashi raised a brow. "Hm?"

Joining them, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "Where is Sakura?"

"Sakura? How should I know?" Kakashi responded innocently.

The two members of team 7 exchanged a look. Something passed between them.

"Can you find out from the Hokage, then?" Naruto asked. "Because we looked all over the place, and if she's not in Konoha, she must have left with Baa-chan's approval."

Kakashi slumped. "Why is it so important that you must find her now?"

"She just got back last night and now she's gone!" Naruto finally exploded. "We're supposed to go out for ramen."

"And if she is not in Konoha, she might be on a mission," Sasuke said pointedly.

Naruto scowled and then spat, "That Uchiha had better not have gotten his hands on her again."

The Copy-nin almost winced at Naruto's choice of words.

His expression betraying only a slight hint of concern, Sasuke remarked, "Kakashi, you know as well as I do that the mission we'd just returned from was not an easy one. We just want to make sure that my brother hasn't taken her with him on his ANBU mission."

"Might be too late for that now," Kakashi muttered.

Naruto scowled. "What do you mean?"

"She's gone."

Blue eyes widened immediately. "Gone? GONE? So she really went with that bastard AGAIN?!"

"Shut up, Dobe!" Sasuke ground out, put off by the insult to his brother although he was obviously not happy that Sakura had gone with Itachi again. Turning back to him, Sasuke asked, "When?"

Kakashi shrugged. "A while ago. And before you two think of it, don't bother going after them. They've gone too far for you to catch up."

Naruto sagged visibly.

Kakashi smiled widely, crinkling his eyes as he waved a dismissive hand around. "Don't worry too much. They will be back in a couple of days."

Giving him a suspicious look, Naruto asked, "How do you know that? I thought ANBU missions are classified."

Kakashi raised a hand to tap his chin. "They are, aren't they?" he murmured, adopting a vague expression.

Naruto exhaled in disgust and then turned to Sasuke. "Well. What do we do now, Teme?"

"Nothing," the Uchiha responded blandly.

"What do you mean, nothing?!" Naruto shouted incredulously.

Hardly reacting at all, Sasuke simply turned and walked away. As expected, Naruto instantly followed.

"Oh, come on, Sasuke. There must be something we can do," the blonde whined.

"Like what?" Sasuke muttered.

Their voices trailed off as they moved further and further away, leaving Kakashi to stare after them. Shaking his head slowly, he mused over just how much they had grown. Six years ago, they would never have walked away like that, completely forgetting that he was standing there.

Ah well. It had to happen sometime, he thought.

* * *

Another soldier pill made its way into Sakura's mouth as she paused momentarily on the tree limb. Genma and Shino were too far in front now, but maybe Itachi wanted some? She turned to glance over her shoulders, finding their masked captain some distance behind her. Holding up a small container, tilting her head questioningly just as the Uchiha joined her on the tree limb.

"Want some?" she asked.

He shook his head. "You were distracted during the mission," he remarked instead.

Sakura sighed, knowing fully well what he was talking about. The mission was a success, but her performance was undoubtedly lacking. She had been pushing herself with soldier pills, trying to keep her flagging strength up. But there was a limit to what her body could take. Even now, after taking that soldier pill, she still felt drained.

She should simply tell Itachi what she thought. After all, why should she take this from him? She had warned him that it was not a good idea to take her along.

Steeling her spine, she said irritably, "Look, you knew I was tired from the last Team Kakashi mission. I told you as much."

"Hm."

She could not see his face, but she could sense that he was studying her carefully. Not that he could see much, because she, too, had a mask over her face. What was he trying to find? She had given her best in her condition, just because he had asked. But if he was not satisfied with her performance, there was nothing she could do about it.

Perhaps she should stop doing this. As grateful as she was that Itachi had inadvertently helped her back when she was having confidence issues, this was ridiculous. Not to mention detrimental to her very life. ANBU missions were not easy things in the first place, and to go on one in her condition simply spelled trouble.

Cautiously, she ventures, "With all due respect, Taishou, I do need some rest between missions. Carrying out missions back to back like this is simply not advisable."

He did not even twitch at her words. The silence dragged on. And when she was about to lose her patience, he tilted his head slightly.

"Perhaps it is best that you simply joined ANBU. Then, this will no longer be an issue," he murmured calmly.

Sakura froze at his words. He could not be serious, could he? It was something that he had touched upon when she first joined his team. But since then, he had not mentioned it. Why bring it up now?

Well, she was confident that she could do it. After all, she had plenty of practice working with an ANBU squad. But as tempting as it was to join the ANBU ranks, Sakura knew that she would not do it without Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke. Her teammates were too important to her. Strangely enough, for some reason, none of them had brought the topic up. Well, at least not recently. Naruto and Sasuke had spoken about it often enough when all three of them were younger. She would have thought that as ambitious as Naruto and Sasuke were, they would covet the ANBU title. But they seemed content to remain ranked as a Jounin even though everyone knew that Naruto and Sasuke were more than qualified to be in ANBU.

Hm, maybe it was something she ought to ask them one day. Then, as an idea occurred to her, she darted a speculative glance at the silent Uchiha. He should know the answer to what was playing in her mind. After all, he was her teammate's elder brother. Surely they had spoken about this.

"Say, did Sasuke ever mentioned applying for ANBU?" she asked curiously.

Itachi regarded her silently for a moment, and then he shook his head.

She frowned, puzzled. That was unexpected. "Don't you think it is strange? After all, both Sasuke and Naruto are more than qualified, right? I mean, they are skilled enough to pass the tests, don't you think?"

"Yes."

"Then why?"

Without answering, Itachi turned away from her, gesturing for her to continue their journey. She wanted to push him for an answer, but she knew that he would only respond when he was ready. So she began to move forward again, launching herself in the air to reach the next tree.

After a long while, he finally answered, "Perhaps they do not wish to lose you."

She blinked in confusion, not comprehending what he was saying. "What do you mean?"

Once again, the answer was slow in coming. "I would seek to acquire you as a permanent member of this squad if you were in the ANBU ranks."

Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh."

So that was why Naruto and Sasuke held back. It sort of made sense now. Sasuke probably knew his brother well enough to suspect that Itachi would do something like that. This meant that she was holding them back from something they wanted to do.

A feeling of guilt washed over her. Even with all her skills, she was still holding them back in some way. But could they not tell that she would not deliberately hurt them by moving over to Itachi's squad even if she was ANBU? She loved them and Team Kakashi too much to destroy it willingly.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced sideways at the masked profile of the older Uchiha. "You know that I will stay with them, right? Even if I made it into ANBU?"

"Hm."

What did that mean? Did it mean that he agreed with her, or it was merely one of his standard non-committal responses? Before she could prod further, Itachi gestured to the gap between them and the rest of the team.

"Speed up," he instructed evenly.

When she glanced sideways, she found that he was not even looking at her. She had worked with him long enough to know recognize the signs that the conversation was over. Shrugging inwardly, she injected more chakra into her legs to quicken her movement. He never tolerated disobedience or insubordination.

As for her loyalties, Uchiha Itachi could think whatever he wants. She knew she would never abandon Team Kakashi, no matter what.

* * *

The sun was already setting when they finally set foot in Konoha.

Mind filled with the mission report he had to present to the Hokage tomorrow morning, Itachi simply gestured to the squad for them to disband before he headed in the direction of the Uchiha compound. He would try to finish it today and then hand the report to the Hokage tomorrow morning. And while he was there, it would be a good time for him to see if she needed his ANBU squad for another mission.

He had only stepped into the Uchiha compound when a familiar voice rang through the air, stilling his steps.

"Hey, Itachi!"

Itachi turned around to find Shisui running towards him. The grim expression on his cousin's face told Itachi that something was wrong. He waited until the older Uchiha had reached him before he spoke.

"What is it, Shisui?"

The other Uchiha shook his head slowly. "It's bad, Itachi. Bad. I tell you, they've gone mad."

Impatient, Itachi frowned. "Who?"

"The clan! Who else?" he exclaimed. "They are taking things too far this time!"

"Shisui…" Itachi bit out warningly.

Shisui held up his hands. "You missed the last couple of clan meetings. And I swear, I tried to stop them because I know how hard you've been fighting against it. But they did it anyway."

Itachi stared at his agitated cousin. What was going on?

Shisui looked pained. "Itachi, man. I'm so sorry about this. But the clan elders went to some country in the east and they're in the middle of some negotiation as we speak."

A feeling of foreboding crept over Itachi. "What negotiations?" he asked cautiously.

Shisui took a deep breath. "They're discussing the terms to acquire a bride for you."

Numbed silence was Itachi's only response to the declaration. He supposed he should have expected it, but it was still a shock to be presented with such a thing. The clan had finally decided to act behind his back, no doubt with the intent of forcing him to obey their decision regardless of his own wishes.

Itachi's lips tightened in displeasure. What was clear in his mind was that he could not possibly accept the match.

The question now was, how would he counter their move?

* * *

A/N: So that's the first chapter done. It'd be nice to know if you like it so far, so that I can decide whether to quit while I'm ahead! So please drop me a review if you could. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you all so much for the encouraging reviews! Hope you'll continue to enjoy the story. There's a bit more background information in this chapter and then we'll move on to the actual plot. Enjoy…

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 2**

Standing by the bed, Kakashi stared down at the sleeping figure sprawled carelessly under the red covers. The thick curtains covering the window swayed slightly, casting rays of late afternoon sun on the unconscious kunoichi.

Sakura must be dead tired if she could not even detect his presence, regardless of the fact that her subconscious knew that he posed no threat. It was hardly surprising, considering that she had just returned from the ANBU mission with Itachi last evening. It was fortunate that his status as an ex-ANBU captain allowed him the privilege of snooping around, or else he would not be sure that she had, indeed, left with the Uchiha.

Kakashi even felt a little bad for what he was about to do. But it could not be helped. He had delayed their departure as long as he could.

With an inward sigh, he leaned right over Sakura's face.

"Yo, Sakura!" he greeted loudly, and then pulled back.

His pink-haired student jerked right up into a sitting position, her eyes snapping around wildly. She was obviously quite disoriented, Kakashi thought as he watched on with no small amount of amusement. Poor girl.

Then those bleary green eyes landed on him. "Kakashi-sensei?"

"Slept well?" he asked.

She rubbed her eyes as she nodded, and then ran a hand through her messy pink locks. Not for the first time, Kakashi wondered where the vain little twelve-year old girl had gone. Because that little girl would have killed herself first before she mussed her hair up like that. If he recalled correctly, the change came around the time when the team took their chuunin exams.

"Why are you here, sensei?" she asked groggily.

"Ah!" He rubbed the back of his head. "We have a mission."

Her entire body stiffened and then she slumped. "A mission?" she repeated in a small voice. "Today?" She sounded as if she could not believe it.

"Tonight."

She wilted visibly. He truly felt for her. He really did. But she had to go. The mission required a complete team, medic and all. And he knew that Naruto and Sasuke would raise a ruckus if their little pink-haired teammate was not present. So, she had to go.

Shrugging casually, he said, "If you're not up to it, I can borrow Yamanaka Ino from-"

"NO!" she protested vehemently, jumping to her feet. "Don't you dare! I'll go."

"Are you sure?" he asked, eyeing her slim figure clad only in a tiny shirt and shorts as she went to her travel pouch.

"Yes, sensei," she hissed as she began to pull out the contents of her pouch, her movements drawing his attention to her bare skin.

You dirty old pervert, he chided himself when his eyes lingered a moment too long on her legs. She should have known better than to jump out of bed clad in so little when any male was around, he thought with an unexpected surge of protectiveness. It was just as well that he was her sensei.

Kakashi continued to watch as one by one, her ANBU equipment flew across the room to land in the corner. As he surveyed the items, he realized that Sakura actually possessed the full ANBU regulation kit. Uchiha Itachi must have given them to her over the last eighteen months. No doubt to facilitate the ever-increasing number of ANBU missions she was involved in.

"When and where are we meeting?" she asked, frowning as she looked around for something.

"In half an hour or so. At the gates."

She froze. Then her movements sped up in a flurry as she muttered, "I'm late… I'm late."

Chuckling, Kakashi shook his head. "Ah, don't worry about it, Sakura-chan. We'll wait."

They were already late by half a day, but she did not need to know that. Still, it should not matter since the mission was in Fire Country itself and from what he could tell, being a little late should not cause too much problem.

"I'm not like you, you know," she grumbled.

He knew that. If she was anything like him, she would not allow Uchiha Itachi to drag her on all those ANBU missions, even though she was most probably one of the most well-paid kunoichi in Konoha because of all those extra work. Perhaps she could be persuaded to treat Team Kakashi for a meal after this mission, he mused. Yes, that would be good.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

He turned to look at her. "Hm?"

She was staring at him pointedly, a fresh stack of clothes held in one hand. "Give me some time to wash and change and then I'll see you out at the bridge, okay?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Ah, yes."

She needed some privacy. What was he thinking, watching over her like that? She was no longer twelve. Actually, in a few months time, she would be nineteen. He had better make a move. With that thought, he raised a hand up at her. A quick teleportation jutsu later, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for him when he arrived at the bridge. As expected, the blonde was the first one to speak.

"So? Where's Sakura?" Naruto asked impatiently. "Is she coming?"

Kakashi nodded once. He did not miss that even Sasuke sagged slightly in obvious relief at his answer. Were they worried that Sakura would not turn up? Hm, perhaps they had a good reason to be worried, with Sakura's ANBU missions and all.

"She just returned?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi nodded. "Last night."

"At least she got some sleep," Naruto muttered.

Sasuke simply frowned.

The blonde turned to his teammate. "I don't remember that ANBU squad going on so many missions before. It's getting worse by the week. It was never this often before," Naruto grumbled. "What's your brother trying to do? Kill his team? And Sakura while he's at it?"

Kakashi eyed the younger Uchiha, not missing the way Sasuke's brow drew closer. "What's the matter with Itachi?" he asked, suspecting that the younger Uchiha knew something.

Sasuke shrugged, shifting his gaze away from them. It was obvious that Sasuke was reluctant to speak about his brother.

Catching on, Naruto reached out to grab the Uchiha's shoulder, preventing Sasuke from walking away. "Ne, you know something, don't you? What is it, Sasuke? What's up with Itachi?"

"Let go of me, Dobe!" Sasuke snapped irritably, shrugging Naruto's hand away from him.

Naruto reached out again, his eyes taking on a determined gleam. "Not until you tell me what's going on. I-"

A gust of wind appeared suddenly, interrupting Naruto. Then Sakura materialized with a soft poof. She looked flustered.

"I'm here. Sorry I'm late. It'll never happen again," she rushed out.

"It's fine, Sakura," Kakashi assured her, his eyes taking in the shadows under her eyes which looked even harsher in the daylight. A surge of annoyance coursed through him then, as well as an uncomfortable feeling of guilt that he had dragged her out of bed when she could obviously do with more sleep.

"Yeah, it's okay, Sakura-chan," Naruto chirped, and then turned to eye Sasuke expectantly.

The kunoichi raised her eyebrow at Naruto's hand on the sullen Uchiha's shoulder. "Uh, did I miss something?" she ventured cautiously.

Naruto snorted. "We're just trying to get Teme here to tell us what's wrong with his brother."

Sakura blinked. "Eh? What's wrong with him? He seems fine when I last saw him."

Naruto prodded at the silent Sasuke. "So, Sasuke. You want to tell us what's up?"

Scowling at the blonde, the Uchiha muttered, "It's none of your business."

Eyes widening, Naruto exclaimed, "Ha! So, you KNOW something!"

"Is he okay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. "Just tell us. You know you can trust us."

Kakashi rolled his eyes upwards at the obvious tone of concern in Sakura's words. She was too softhearted for her own good. No wonder she allowed herself to be dragged all over the place by that ANBU captain.

Sasuke finally sighed in resignation. "He's taking on more missions these days."

"I noticed," Sakura remarked dryly, eyeing Sasuke suspiciously. "But why?"

Looking uncomfortable, Sasuke turned towards the river and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's probably trying to avoid being in Konoha. Chichi-ue wants him to marry," he muttered.

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise as the other two gasped. He supposed it was to be expected, since Uchiha Itachi was the eldest. However, it must be unpleasant for the Uchiha.

"He's being pressured?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded. "But he needs to do it. Eventually."

Naruto smirked. "So your father is worried that your brother might not produce an heir. Can't say it's surprising, considering what his reputation is like. He's not exactly charming, is he?"

Sakura darted an incredulous look at the blonde. "And you are?"

"Play nice, kids," Kakashi admonished, his eye creasing.

Sakura rolled her eyes at him before turning her attention back to the conversation. "So Itachi is taking on more missions to get away from all of it. How awful."

"It's probably not an issue now," Sasuke muttered.

"Huh? Why?" Naruto asked.

"I overheard something a couple of nights ago. I think the clan elders are trying to find him a wife."

Sakura gasped, her emerald orbs rounding. "An arranged marriage?"

Sasuke nodded.

Eyes softening in sympathy, Sakura murmured, "Poor thing."

Scowling, Naruto exclaimed, "Why the hell are you feeling sorry for him? With his attitude, that's probably the only way he could find a wife."

Sakura snapped towards him. "Naruto! Would you like it if someone chooses your wife for you?"

Naruto twitched.

Kakashi sighed. Sakura had a point. Uchiha Itachi could not possibly be pleased with the idea of an arranged marriage, though the Uchiha would probably do his duty and accept it. It was the sort of thing expected from the clan heir, after all.

"Let's go," Sasuke muttered, effectively putting a stop to that line of conversation. "We're very late."

Sakura's wide green eyes shot towards Kakashi. "We are? How late are we?"

Kakashi glanced up at the sky, frowning slightly. "Oh? About half a day?"

A hiss escaped her. "Then why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" she shouted. "How could you, Kakashi-sensei?!"

And with that, they departed for their delayed mission.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi had spent the entire day in the ANBU headquarters, organizing paperwork and listening out for future missions.

Also, ever since Shisui's unpleasant announcement, he had been running over ideas of how he could extract himself from the situation with his clan. All he could come up with so far was merely a temporary measure. However, that particular temporary measure would suffice for now. It would buy him time to think of a more permanent strategy, or at least gave him time to dispose of the threat which made having a wife such a liability.

With that thought in mind, Itachi walked out of the ANBU headquarters, intending to confront his father about the situation. It would not do to delay any longer, for if the clan came to an agreement with his potential bride's family, it would be difficult to withdraw.

His journey home was uninterrupted, but the sun was already setting when Itachi reached the Uchiha compound. There was only a handful of Uchihas milling around, seeing that most of them were indoors preparing for dinner at this time.

He found his father standing at the end of the wooden pier, staring out thoughtfully at the calm surface of the lake. Itachi could not help but wonder if in ten or twenty year's time, he would find himself in the same position, wearing the same expression.

The thought was not agreeable one.

Itachi strode forward, walking along the pier to close the distance between him and his father. Noting his approach, Fugaku slowly turned around and inclined his head in greeting.

"Chichi-ue."

"Itachi."

Seeing no sense in delaying, Itachi asked in a quiet voice, "Is it true that the clan is negotiating for a bride for me?"

Grimacing, Fugaku nodded. "I've been meaning to tell you. The clan is of the opinion that your priorities are misplaced. Hence their decision to interject."

"Such interference is not necessary," he pointed out firmly.

"You're not making any headway on your own."

"I am, Chichi-ue."

His father looked surprised. "You've been courting someone?"

Itachi nodded curtly.

"Who is it?" Fugaku asked.

"She is a suitable candidate."

"Her name, Itachi," his father insisted.

"I will reveal her name when I succeed in courting her. It is still… too early."

Fugaku frowned thoughtfully. Itachi could tell that his father was wondering if he was telling the truth. So Itachi kept his expression even, not revealing his irritation at the fact that he had to lower himself to this farce. Still, if it was successful, he would be free of the clan's pressure for some time with very little effort.

"Why is it that you could not tell us?" his father finally asked.

Because he was not certain that the kunoichi he had in mind would cooperate, Itachi thought. Instead, he responded, "Such private matters should remain private."

"I see," his father murmured.

For a long while, they simply stared at each other, as if trying to see through one another. Again, Itachi kept his expression even, giving nothing away. Concealing his thoughts came naturally to him, after all.

"Fugaku!"

Both of them turned at the sound of his mother's voice. She had just exited the house, and was walking along the pier towards them. Itachi could discern the instant his mother recognized his presence, for her smile widened.

"Itachi is home too," she exclaimed. "Well, dinner is ready."

Itachi nodded.

As his mother drew closer to his father, her smile faded. Itachi glanced at his father to find the older Uchiha wearing a grim expression.

"What is it, Fugaku?" she asked in a cautious voice.

Her body was suddenly still, and her eyes were sharp as she assessed her husband's expression. It reminded Itachi that his mother had once been a kunoichi as well. But she had given up her profession when she was merely a chuunin to marry the heir of the Uchiha clan.

"He found someone to court," Fugaku announced gruffly.

His mother's brow rose. "Oh? Who is she?"

"He won't tell us."

Smiling, his mother patted his father on the arm reassuringly. "I'm sure Itachi knows what he's doing. Yes, Itachi?"

"Yes," Itachi agreed, grateful that his mother had interjected.

A dissatisfied grunt escaped his father.

His mother stepped between them, and then urged them towards the house. "Now come before dinner gets cold. Sasuke won't be joining us tonight. He's on a mission."

Fugaku nodded. Then, silently, all three of them made their way back to the house. All the while, Itachi kept silent as his father and mother conversed. His father had been made aware of the fact that he had 'found' someone.

So now, all he had to do next was to make sure that he found someone to 'court'.

* * *

This was what she loved about being a kunoichi. It was not the money or anything, though that certainly helped. But it was more the rush of satisfaction she got whenever a mission was successful.

Sakura laughed as Naruto swung her around. Finally setting her down, her blonde friend punched a fist in the air, grinning all the while. It was not even a difficult mission, but she guessed that Naruto was simply happy that they managed to help the family. A little boy had been kidnapped by his father's business partner, who had demanded a ridiculous ransom. It had not been difficult for them to convince the kidnapper that it was in his best interest to release the boy and disappear from Fire Country.

"Yeah, we did it!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically.

Sakura glanced around, noting the gleam of pleasure in Sasuke's eyes. He might be a little quieter about it, but she could tell that Sasuke was just as happy that the mission was a success. As for Kakashi, he simply looked bored. But then again, it was rather difficult to tell when the mask was covering most of his face.

"We need to celebrate." Naruto turned to her. "You disappeared before we could celebrate the last one, Sakura."

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"You should really tell that Uchiha to stuff it, you know," Naruto told her with a small frown.

Knowing that this was one topic that would head nowhere very quickly, Sakura waved a dismissive hand about. "Let's not talk about that, okay? So? We're going for ramen or what?"

Naruto brightened again. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her in the direction of Konoha. "Let's go! We can make it back in an hour."

They made it back in three-quarters of an hour. Encouraged by the thought of his favorite food, Naruto pushed them hard. But as she was just as hungry, she did not protest. They soon found themselves amongst the familiarity of the village.

"Look! There's Neji and Ten Ten," Naruto exclaimed when they walked into the centre of Konoha.

"Move, Naruto," Sasuke growled, trying to head in the opposite direction.

Ignoring Sasuke, Naruto hollered, "Oi, Neji! Ten Ten! Want to join us for ramen?"

Sakura did not miss the hiss of displeasure which escaped the Uchiha. Her lips twitched in amusement when she recalled the antagonism between him and Neji. Both Naruto and Sasuke had been very protective of her when Neji had begun courting her. So it was inevitable that they had clashed. However, whilst Naruto had all but forgotten about the entire thing once she and Neji had broken up, Sasuke was not quite as forgetful.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, Neji and Ten Ten walked towards them. The Uchiha tensed, his dark eyes narrowing as the Hyuuga approached.

"Naruto," Neji greeted. "I see you've found your missing teammate."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. She's back with us now."

Ten Ten turned to her, raising a questioning brow. "Back from where?"

Sakura shook her head. Not everyone knew about her role in the Uchiha's ANBU squad, and she would like to keep it that way. Not to mention ANBU missions were supposed to be classified. "Long story." Changing the topic, she asked, "So, are you joining us for ramen?"

"I'm up for it," Ten Ten replied before turning to her teammate. "Neji?"

The Hyuuga nodded.

So, much to Sasuke consternation, Neji and Ten Ten walked with them to Ichiraku's. Grinning slightly, Sakura elbowed the sullen Uchiha.

"What's with that face, Sasuke-kun?" she teased.

Sasuke grunted.

"It's only one meal, you know," Sakura pointed out. "I'm sure you'll survive it."

The Uchiha tossed her a disgruntled look.

"Well, I'll leave you kids to it, then," Kakashi declared, his eye crinkling.

"You're not joining us?" Naruto asked.

Their sensei shook his head. "Many important things waiting for me to do."

As Sakura rolled her eyes in disbelief, Kakashi performed a teleportation jutsu and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the five of them alone.

Linking her arm through Ten Ten's, Sakura strode towards the ramen shop. "Let's eat."

Soon, all five of them were seated in front of the tall bench, conversing casually as they ate their bowls of ramen. Fully occupied with his five bowls, Naruto barely participated in the conversation, but he did not miss much. Sasuke was quiet, as usual, leaving only her, Ten Ten and Neji talking about the current economic condition in Fire Country.

Sakura glanced at Neji. In the few short months they had dated, she had found Neji a nice person to talk to. Perhaps it was because she could speak to him openly about the fact that she found herself a little stuck between Team Kakashi and the ANBU missions. Neji had listened without siding anyone, therefore often giving her a fresh perspective on the issues.

Soon, they finished their meal and walked out of the ramen establishment.

"Ah! That was the best!" Naruto enthused.

Hands stuck firmly in the pockets of his pants, Sasuke announced, "I'm going home."

"I'd better go as well. Promised my mother to bring home some dango," Ten Ten said with a wave, and then promptly walked away.

"Do we have a training session tomorrow morning?" she asked her teammates.

Naruto was the one who nodded. "The usual place, the usual time."

She waved at the departing Uchiha. "See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke merely inclined his head and then continued to walk towards the Uchiha compound as the rest of them watched. It was only when Sasuke had disappeared out of sight that Naruto suddenly took on a thoughtful look.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. Was Teme quieter than usual today? He didn't say a word during the meal just now."

Sakura fought the urge to groan. If Naruto haven't figured out that Sasuke and Neji did not really get along, she really did not want to be the one to explain it to him. So she simply plastered a smile on her face and turned to face him.

"Really? I didn't notice."

Naruto's brows furrowed, but thankfully he did not press the issue. Instead, something in the distance caught his attention. He immediately brightened.

"Hey, Ero-sensei is here!" he announced. "I need to go talk to him about this forbidden jutsu that he promised to teach me."

"Naruto…" Sakura warned.

"See you later!" he yelled with a wave over his shoulder.

Sakura scowled. Jiraiya was really a bad influence on Naruto sometimes.

"I'll walk you home," Neji suddenly offered. "There's something I need to discuss with you."

Sakura nodded. "Sure."

For a while, they simply walked side by side in companionable silence. It had always been like this. After all, Neji was not very talkative in the first place.

"They are not happy, you know," Neji finally remarked.

Surprised, her steps halted. "Huh? What do you mean?" she asked.

"About you going off with the ANBU." Neji shook his head slowly. "And both of us know that they are very protective."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know. Remember how they used to spy on us on our dates?"

"Yes." Neji smirked slightly. Then he grew sober. "You don't need to prove anything to anyone, do you understand?"

"Neji, what brought this on?" she asked, surprised at his tone.

"You've been wearing yourself out. It's obvious," he pointed out evenly. "You don't need to take on all these additional missions to prove anything. No one would think less of you if you say no."

Sakura sighed. It had not occurred to her to think like that, but was that another reason why she could never say no to Itachi? Deep down, was she still so insecure about her skills? Would she ever reach a point where she could stop doubting herself? She had to sit down somewhere quietly and think about this.

When Neji began to walk again, she followed on silently. It was not long before they finally arrived at her apartment. It was only then that she turned to face him fully.

"Thanks for telling me, Neji," she said softly.

He inclined his head, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Someone needed to say it."

Her lips twitched. "I guess it's just as well that it was you. I couldn't really expect Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei to say something like this. And if Ino had said something like this to me, I'd just think that she's jealous."

Neji's lips curved as he took a step back. "Well, I hope that you'll think about it."

"I will," she said resolutely.

He raised a hand to bid her good bye.

"See you around, Neji."

* * *

A dark eye peered over the top of the latest volume of Icha Icha, trailing after a slender figure.

Kakashi's brows furrowed in comprehension when he saw the direction the Uchiha was heading to. The immediate urge to leave the situation to unfold on its own was there. After all, to do otherwise would be to embroil himself in something which would no doubt be extremely unpleasant. Such as confronting Uchiha Itachi.

Then the image of Sakura flashed across his mind. His frown deepened when he recalled the shadows under her eyes and her exhaustion from juggling both her Team Kakashi's missions and the Uchiha's ANBU missions. Konoha might expect a lot from its shinobi ranks, but Kakashi was certain that no one wanted their top medic to drop dead in the middle of a mission one day.

As his eyes followed the Uchiha, Kakashi realized that this was not something he could leave to someone else to resolve. Team Kakashi was his responsibility, and Sakura was an important part of the team. Without her, the team was not as effective. He had ignored the situation for eighteen months, but now was the time for him to do something about it.

Besides, he hated those shadows under her eyes. It made her look like a raccoon dyed pink.

Mind made up, Kakashi pocketed his book and swiftly executed a teleportation jutsu. In a fraction of a second, he stood between a surprised Uchiha and Sakura's apartment building.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted cheerfully.

The Uchiha's onyx eyes stared at him. "Hatake-san."

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Kakashi asked, "You're looking for Sakura?"

"Yes."

"Ah," Kakashi exclaimed thoughtfully, lifting a hand to rub at his chin.

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is there a problem?"

"Depends on what you want to see her for," Kakashi rebutted calmly.

"ANBU business."

"So you're planning on asking her to go with your squad?" Kakashi asked innocently.

The Uchiha inclined his head curtly, but there was a suspicious light in his eyes. No doubt the Uchiha realized that something was afoot, and was growing increasingly wary as the conversation progressed. It was time to have things out in the open, then.

"That would be a problem, Uchiha-san. Sakura is allocated on a Team Kakashi mission which begins tomorrow morning, so she's not available."

"Is that so? I have heard of no such mission when I checked with the Hokage this morning."

That was because there was no such mission. "Ah, there has been a change of plan. The original team allocated to this mission was… unsuitable."

The Uchiha's eyes flashed with annoyance, but Kakashi stood his ground. He would just have to bribe someone for a D-rank mission or something. Maybe Shikamaru and his team of genin wouldn't mind having a few days off. Knowing Shikamaru, it would not be too much of a sacrifice for the Nara.

It was then that Kakashi noticed that the villagers around them were giving them a wide berth, to wary to come closer. No doubt it was due to the waves of annoyance emanating off the Uchiha.

"I'm afraid you'd need to find another medic for your team. What about Yamanaka Ino?" Kakashi suggested with a smile. "She is more than capable, don't you think?"

"Hm."

Kakashi could tell that the Uchiha had no intention of considering the option. The ANBU captain wanted Sakura on his team, and was certainly not willing to settle for another medic.

"Well, better luck next time?" Kakashi remarked cheerfully, not meaning a word of it.

Something flashed within the onyx eyes, the closest Kakashi had seen the Uchiha display any form of emotion. It was then that he realized that the whole idea of the shinobi opposite him displaying any emotion was rather disturbing, particularly when it concerns Sakura.

"Is that all, Hatake-san?" Itachi asked quietly.

"I believe so," he replied evenly.

With that, Uchiha Itachi turned around and walked away, leaving Kakashi to stare at his departing back.

Now, that was not so hard, was it, Kakashi asked himself. Sure it was unpleasant, but with luck, Uchiha Itachi would ease off on Sakura.

At least for a while.

* * *

The three ANBU operatives had been traveling for most of the last two days and for two of them, the sight of the Konoha gates in the distance was a welcomed one.

However, the same could not be said for Uchiha Itachi.

The sight of Konoha only reminded him of what he had been putting off for the last three weeks. And yet, he knew that the time had come for him to put his plan in motion. The clan was becoming increasingly anxious to know who his intended bride was. Delaying was no longer an option, for it would only raise suspicions.

"So… Another one done," Shiranui Genma exhaled, stretching his back. "So when is the next mission?"

"In a few days," Itachi replied as the Konoha gates loomed directly in front.

Behind them, Aburame Shino murmured something almost inaudible. But Itachi had heard the words, and his lips tightened in annoyance. He certainly needed no reminder of the absence of the fourth person in their team.

"What did you say?" Genma called out over his shoulders.

"It would be good if Sakura is around for the next one," Shino said.

Itachi recalled the wound the Aburame had sustained earlier. He had closed the wound the best he could, but Itachi knew that it was far from what Sakura would have achieved, had she been present during this mission.

But due to the interference of one Copy-nin, the kunoichi was once again absent from their squad.

Hatake Kakashi had deliberately thwarted his plans, and Itachi did not like it. Three weeks had passed since their encounter outside Sakura's apartment, and since then, he had not seen the pink-haired kunoichi even once. As far as he knew, she was still outside Konoha, on her two week mission. It was beginning to truly irk him, especially since he had to settle for a 3-man squad for the last two missions.

This could not continue. He would not allow it.

"She has been around so much that we kind of forget that she's not ANBU in the first place," Genma remarked with a chuckle. "Maybe we should get her to apply, huh? What do you think, Taishou?"

"Perhaps," Itachi murmured.

From their last conversation on the topic, Itachi was certain that Sakura would not willingly leave her teammates. However, there were always ways to persuade one to change their mind. Considering Hatake Kakashi's recent interference, perhaps he should give more consideration to this topic.

"Then I say it's time to get her to join the ranks!" Genma exclaimed heartily.

"I'd like to see you do that," Shino muttered.

Senbon dangling out of the corner of his mouth, Genma turned to the bug-user. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's useless to explain if you don't see it in the first place," Shino remarked dully.

An incredulous look came across Genma's face. "What the hell? Isn't that why you should explain, huh?"

Itachi turned away from them. Blanking out their conversation, he continued to walk into Konoha. His first stop would be the Hokage tower. As well as submitting the mission report he had completed last night, he would also set his plan in motion.

* * *

Tsunade was not easily shocked. But this time, she had to admit that this was an unexpected development.

She frowned slightly paperwork on her desk. His mission report was to her left, but that was not the item that had caught her attention. It was the neatly-written scroll to the right of his mission report that had her staring in surprise. She could not help but wonder what had possessed Itachi to file such a thing. She had heard about the rumors, of course. He must be truly desperate, and yet, she supposed that it was one way to deal with the issue.

"You do realize that she needs to accept the mission," Tsunade pointed out. "It is not a Konoha-related one, therefore, she is under no obligation to accept it."

"Yes."

She arched a brow. "So you're not going to raise a fuss if she blows up and rejects it?"

Itachi gave her a level look. "She will not be forced."

Of course he would say all the right things. Tsunade stifled a sigh. "When would you like to commence?"

"As soon as feasible."

Tsunade nodded. "Very well then. I will speak to her about this."

It would provide some amusement for the Konoha, at least, she thought with an inward smirk. Then it occurred to her that it was rather pathetic to find such a thing exciting. However, perhaps her reaction could be excused for she had not seen any serious action since she had taken over the post.

The last time Konoha had seen any excitement was when Orochimaru had decided to attack a little more than six years ago, during one of the chuunin examinations. She had not been present, but the Sandaime had managed to defeat the bastard, sacrificing his own life in the process.

And before that was the Uchiha clan issue. About a decade ago, a large number of Uchihas had planned a coup. It could have turned out to be a major catastrophe then if the shinobi before her had not taken the action he had taken then.

"How is the Uchiha clan doing?" she asked suddenly.

"The clan is well," Itachi responded evenly.

Clasping her hands together and then resting her chin on them, Tsunade asked, "No one seeks the forbidden scroll?"

Itachi shook his head. "No."

Something in Itachi's tone made her wonder if he was telling the whole truth. The ANBU captain before her had always been secretive, therefore she had no doubt that he was hiding something. But what was he keeping to himself? Did it actually matter? Perhaps she should leave the issue alone. After all, according to the documentation left by the Sandaime, Uchiha Itachi's loyalties to Konoha should not be questioned.

"Keep your eyes open, just in case," she finally said.

"Understood," the Uchiha affirmed.

"If there is nothing else, you're dismissed."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he murmured, inclining his head respectfully.

Tsunade watched as the Uchiha left her office. Glancing down at the form before her, she wondered how she should approach the issue.

Then, smiling slightly, she called out, "Konohamaru! Get in here!"

* * *

Perched up on a branch, Sakura scanned her surrounding carefully, trying to make sure that Kakashi would not spot her.

She did not realize just how much she missed this. Because of her missions with Itachi's ANBU squad, she had been absent from countless number of training sessions with her own teammates. And yet, her sensei had not complained. She guessed he figured that any mission with an ANBU squad would equate to training.

Come to think about it, it was odd that she even had time to train. Three weeks had passed since she last gone on an ANBU mission, one of the longest gap, if she recalled correctly. She wondered if everything was alright with Itachi's ANBU squad. Maybe she should go find them to see how they were.

But what if her absence from their missions were deliberate? Sakura winced at the thought. Maybe after her terrible performance in the last mission, Itachi had decided to exclude her. Maybe he had found another medic to go with them. At that thought, she felt a horrible pang in her heart. She realized that however weary she was, deep down, she did not want to be excluded from their ANBU missions.

Neji's words immediately came back to her, making her frown. She had promised herself not to think like this anymore. Her skills as a kunoichi was first-rate, and she should not doubt herself. Itachi probably just did not need a medic on his missions these last few weeks.

A sound from the distance drew her out of her contemplations.

It was then that she noticed the giggling chuunin crowding beyond the fence surrounding their training ground. She shook her head, smiling at the sight of the three kunoichi. They were Sasuke's fans, but the Uchiha did not even notice their presence. Either that, or he was simply ignoring them. To Sasuke, training was training and he would not allow anything to disturb him.

Suddenly, something flashed before her eyes.

Before she could make sense of what was happening, she hit the ground with a painful thud, her breath knocked out of her. A moment of disorientation came over her, and then a shadowed figure blocked the sun from her eyes.

"You should pay attention, Sakura," Kakashi chided, staring down at her with his single visible eye.

She scowled at him, knowing that he was right. Flipping herself up to her feet, she was about to ask for another round when a familiar voice reached her.

"Sakura-Ne-chan!"

She turned around to see Konohamaru running towards them.

"What is it, Konohamaru?" she asked.

The chuunin skidded to a halt before her. "Hokage-sama wants to see you."

Sakura blinked. "Oh?"

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, walking towards them.

"She's being summoned by the Hokage," Kakashi pointed out, but there was an odd light in his eyes. "Go now, Sakura. And come back here when you're done."

Wondering what her shishou could possibly want, Sakura went with Konohamaru. It did not take long for them to arrive at the Hokage's office. Konohamaru gestured at the door, and then promptly disappeared down the curved corridor.

Sakura rapped on the door and waited for Tsunade's acknowledgement before she entered. The sight which greeted her when she pushed the door shut behind her was a familiar one; her shishou seated behind her desk, almost completely obscured by the piles of overdue paperwork.

"Tsunade-shishou?"

The Hokage placed the scroll she had been reading on the desk, and then looked up. The odd light in her honey-brown eyes gave Sakura paused, and she held her breath.

When Tsunade finally spoke, her voice was firm. "Haruno Sakura. I have a mission for you. You may accept or decline, at your own discretion."

A mission? Sakura frowned, puzzled. "Well, shouldn't Kakashi-sensei and the rest be here?"

Tsunade shook her head. "This is a solo mission."

Her jaw dropped. A solo mission? CHA! What a fantastic opportunity! Excitement began to bubble within her and she beamed. The boys would be SO jealous when they hear about this. She could not wait to tell them.

"You'd better listen to the rest first, before you smile," Tsunade warned gravely.

As she digested Tsunade's words, her smile died on her lips. It could not be that bad, right? Maybe it was just a very difficult mission. But she had been working with ANBU for a while now, and was more than capable of dealing with anything. Besides, Tsunade would not summon her here if it was something she could not do.

"What is it, Shishou?"

"First thing you need to remember is that this briefing is confidential, regardless of your decision. The client requested utmost secrecy, due to the nature of the mission. That means that you can't discuss it with ANYONE, apart from myself and the client. Secondly, it will be a somewhat long-term mission, and there are elements of it that you might find disturbing."

Her trepidation grew. Wariness tingeing her tone, Sakura said, "I won't say a thing to anyone else. What is the mission brief, Shishou?"

"The client needs a kunoichi to act as his love interest."

Sakura's eyes widened. Love interest? Although she knew that such missions existed, she had no previous experience in it. It was unsurprising, considering that she was not even nineteen yet. Those kunoichi assigned to these types of missions were generally older.

And more experienced.

"Uh, Shishou?" she began uncertainly.

Tsunade waved an impatient hand around, evidently understanding her concerns. "You will not be required to do anything that's not acceptable in the public eye. Just enough to convince others that you're a couple for about half a year."

"Half a year?" Sakura echoed incredulously. That long? "But what about Team Kakashi?"

"You'll carry on as usual as far as Team Kakashi is concerned. This mission is an additional one, which means that you will be giving up your personal time for it." Tsunade gave her a pointed look. "And that is why you have the right to decline if you wish."

That sounded better, Sakura thought, slightly more relieved. The client was obviously someone close by if she could continue with her real life. "So I'll still be based in Konoha? In my own apartment?"

"Yes. The client resides in this village," Tsunade confirmed.

Sakura could not help but wonder if it was someone she knew. "So what's the objective?"

"To discourage other women and to prevent his relatives from taking matters into their own hands."

Sakura blinked. This was beginning to sound a little familiar, though she could not quite put her finger on it. Something was niggling at the back of her mind.

"That is all I can tell you. The specifics will come from the client."

Sakura bit her lips. "What happens if I decline? Who will you ask next?"

"No one. The client requested you specifically."

It was getting more and more weird. "Oh? Who is it?" she asked curiously.

Tsunade raised a brow. "It's just a mission, Sakura. Does it matter who it is?"

"I suppose it makes no difference who it is," Sakura mumbled.

It was a solo mission, right? Something that she had been hankering after for a while. Besides, she had no experience in these sorts of missions, so this would be the perfect way for her to gain some experience. Being based in Konoha was a plus as well, since it meant that she would at least have back-up if things went really wrong.

Still, it would be better if the client was not completely objectionable if she had to be close to him for half a year.

"Your decision, Sakura? Or do you need time to think over it?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "Probably. It's quite a long mission. So, who is the client?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

Sakura's jaw dropped.

* * *

A/N: And so… that's Itachi's temporary solution to the problem. Next chapter will bring you more Ita-Saku interaction, you'll be glad to hear. As always, please review if you could. Thank you!

:elle6778:


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you all for reviewing the previous chapter. I'm glad you like how the story is progressing. Without further ado, let us move on to the third chapter. Happy reading!

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 –****Chapter 3**

Tsunade watched silently as an open-mouthed Sakura stared at her in obvious disbelief. It was hardly surprising, considering the bombshell she had just dropped. Sakura could handle most things, but perhaps this was a little too much.

"Sakura?" she prompted slowly.

Her apprentice shut her mouth, and then opened it again, but no noise came out of her parted lips. Then those emerald orbs lowered, and Sakura's brows drew together in a confused frown. Tsunade had to resist the urge to chuckle at the sight. It was a rare day that something had rendered Sakura completely speechless.

She almost felt sorry for the girl. Almost.

"Sakura?" Tsunade called out again.

Her pink hair bobbed as her head snapped up.

"You heard what I said?"

Sakura's gaze flicked right, and then left. Then, surprisingly, her jaw muscles began to tick erratically.

"Um, Shishou…"

"Hm?"

An unmistakable look of suspicion crossed her apprentice's face. "Have you been drinking recently?" she finally asked.

Tsunade blinked, and then she scowled darkly. How impertinent! What exactly was Sakura implying?

"Because… This has to be a joke, right?" Sakura went on quickly. An awkward laugh escaped her. "Unless I heard wrongly." She swallowed. "Then it'd be just my mistake, I guess."

Still scowling, Tsunade leaned back to wait for her apprentice to stop rambling.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura planted her palms on the desk. "You didn't really say 'Uchiha Itachi', did you?" she practically whispered, her eyes wide in her face.

"I did," Tsunade replied flatly.

Sakura seemed to deflate. And then she dropped into the empty chair opposite the desk.

"Changed your mind?" Tsunade asked, raising a brow.

Sakura licked her lips, looking acutely uncomfortable. "I haven't made up my mind in the first place."

What was Sakura thinking, Tsunade wondered. Still, she should allow the girl some time to think over the mission. Her acceptance was not critical to Konoha's safety, therefore there was some flexibility in it. However, Sakura needed to keep this quiet, whatever she chose to do.

"You'd like some time to consider it?"

A brief moment of hesitation followed before her apprentice replied, "Yes. I need time to think it over."

"I'll give you twenty-four hours. Come back tomorrow with your decision."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"And do not speak to anyone of it. The client requested full confidentiality. And that means no talking to your teammates about it."

Sakura looked as if she was about to protest.

"You're dismissed."

* * *

Backing out of Tsunade's office, Sakura swallowed past her dry throat. She knew that she should get back to the training grounds, but considering her state of mind, it was probably not a good idea. Kakashi and the other two would know that something had happened and would not leave her in peace until they got it out of her.

The conversation whirred through her head as she walked out into the street. Friends and acquaintances greeted her, but her responses were automatic and woody. The whole thing was almost too much to take in.

The client was Uchiha Itachi? THE Uchiha Itachi? As in her Taishou? Sasuke's brother?

She was still trying to wrap her mind around the idea of Itachi needing to HIRE someone to pretend to be his fiancé. Why was Itachi looking for something like this? Surely, there were more than enough females out there clamoring for such a position? In fact, they would probably happily cut off their arm for the privilege. Why did he have to PAY for it? And what about that arranged marriage of his? How could he possibly be seeking another woman when he was engaged?

And then it hit her.

Of course. Itachi had no intention of going through with the entire arranged marriage thing in the first place. Therefore, this must be his way of extricating himself out of that particular problem.

She frowned thoughtfully. Yes. That must be it. It was beginning to make sense now. From what she could tell, it did not look as if Itachi particularly wanted to settle down. Women had definitely shown interest before, but rumor was, he had never responded favorably. He was generally indifferent to all the female attention.

She smiled inwardly. Sasuke had definitely learnt this skill from his brother, now that she thought about it.

There were many kunoichi capable of this task, but she suppose she could guess why he had chosen her. Face it, she was probably the only female of marriageable age that Itachi spoke to on a regular basis, albeit in a professional sense. Furthermore, he must have realized that he did not have to worry about her entertaining any stupid ideas about marrying him for real.

So, why had Itachi chosen to go to the Hokage instead of asking her directly? Was it because he preferred to keep the whole thing 'professional'? It would not surprise her if he did. It seemed to be something someone like Itachi would do since such a thing would mean that the whole mission remained on his terms.

Now, what should she do? And what would Naruto and Sasuke think about this? Naruto was still clearly mad at Itachi for 'stealing' her from Team Kakashi. As for Sasuke… She could not be certain what Sasuke thought at most times.

But this was something that she had to do on her own. That was the whole point of a solo mission, right?

And yet, it was bound to be an uncomfortable mission, pretense or not. After all, how did one pretend to be a couple with someone as aloof as Itachi? Not to mention she had to keep it a secret from her friends. Meaning that they, like the rest of Konoha, would think that she and Itachi were really going out as a couple. The whole idea was bizarre, to say the least. Not to mention the whole thing was rife with the possibility of failure.

Yeah. Even now, she could tell that the mission would cause no end of trouble for her. She supposed she could refuse to take on this mission. After all, it was not as if Konoha's well-being depended on it. It was more of a private kind of mission.

But what would happen to Itachi if she declined? Would he find someone else? Not that it really mattered to her if he did, but he would know that she had declined the mission. Would it affect their working camaraderie? Would it be the end of her role in his ANBU squad?

She sighed inwardly. Much as she whined about being stretched too thin, she had to admit that the thought of not being a part of those missions was worse. She had gotten used to it. She had gotten used to working with Itachi's team, and she did not want to give that up.

Besides, this mission would add something to her list of abilities, right? So far, she had not been on any missions which required her to act something out, let alone something long-term. So if she succeeded in this, her scope of potential jobs would be widened.

Sakura's steps faltered when she found herself standing on a familiar bridge. Leaning against the rail, she frowned thoughtfully down at her reflection in the water. There was really nothing more for her to consider. Weighing the pros and cons, it was obvious that it was more beneficial for her career to take the mission.

Besides, it would be fun to see how the stoic Uchiha behaved towards her once they were a 'couple'.

Sakura could not help but grin at the thought.

Maybe accepting the mission would prove to be interesting.

* * *

Dusk had approached Fire Country when Itachi returned to the Uchiha compound. He had been meditating in the forest, as he usually did around this time when he was not on a mission.

When his house came into view, he saw his father standing in the courtyard. Uchiha Fugaku was conversing with the police officer, Yashiro. Wordlessly, Itachi nodded a greeting. Without pause, he continued walking along the wooden platform, having no intention of joining them, for he had no doubt that they would speak once again about clan's latest obsession.

The tiresome topic had been broached in each and every clan meeting for the more than two years, ever since he had turned twenty one. One would think that his achievements as a shinobi meant nothing, the way the clan went on about his duty to continue his line. Still, although he understood their reasoning, he had no intention of tying himself down to an unwanted marriage anytime soon.

He would have continued to ignore them if not for the arranged marriage issue between him and some stranger. Such a thing was certainly unacceptable, he thought as he slid open the shoji screen and stepped into his bedroom. Stripping off his weapons and vest, Itachi sat cross legged on the floor and stared out of open doorway into the courtyard.

It irked him that they had managed to corner him into what he had done this morning.

Sakura was the only feasible candidate for this farce. She was familiar with him and unlike other kunoichi, she had shown no signs of being infatuated. Furthermore, she was the Hokage's apprentice, a qualification that would satisfy most of the clan. It had satisfied the Hyuuga clan, after all.

He would simply pretend to court her, something which would keep the clan quiet for half a year, the duration he had requested. In that time, he would either have to come up with a permanent strategy to dissuade his clan, or destroy the threat.

At least, that was what he had planned.

All he had to do now was wait. The Hokage had informed him that Sakura would respond tomorrow.

He wondered what she thought of the proposed mission. No doubt she would be shocked. But would she accept the task? What would he do if she declined?

His brows furrowed. If she declined, he would simply have to seek another kunoichi. One who had shown no romantic interest in him in the past, though such a task would prove to be difficult seeing that he had paid no attention to any other kunoichi. His choices were rather limited.

Footsteps sounded, breaking into his contemplations. Soon, a shadow fell against the shoji screen separating his room from the external walkway.

When his mother appeared at the opening, he greeted, "Haha-ue."

His mother smiled. "It's dinner time."

Itachi stood up with a nod. Without another word, he walked beside his mother, heading in the direction of the dining room. The scent of freshly-prepared food filtered towards him as they drew closer to the dining area, reminding Itachi that he had not eaten since morning.

"Itachi?" she ventured quietly.

"Hm?" he acknowledged, his steps remaining steady.

"About this marriage business…" she continued in a measured tone.

"I do not wish to speak of it," he interjected firmly, but politely.

A sigh escaped her. "You know, I only want the best for you. Regardless of what the clan wants."

"Hm."

A short pause followed before she spoke again. "Don't tell your father I said this, but I don't think you should rush something like this."

Surprised, he darted a sideway glance at his mother. She was wearing a small, knowing smile. Wondering what she was thinking, he asked cautiously, "You do not agree with him?"

"Oh, I must admit that I'd like to see you more settled. But I know that these things take time." Her expression softened. "I want you to be happy, Itachi. Whoever you're courting right now, just make sure you're not doing it because the clan is pressuring you, alright?"

He averted his eyes then, feeling somewhat awkward. Such conversations with his mother were rare. She tended to keep her opinions to herself. Idly, he wondered if this was the only thing she disagreed with his father, or if there were more. However, before he could ponder upon the question further, they arrived at their destination.

His father and his brother were already seated at the table. Itachi inclined his head at them, catching Sasuke's eyes as he did so.

"Nii-san," Sasuke greeted.

"Sasuke."

His father gestured at an empty seat. "Sit down, Itachi."

Itachi sat down and they began to eat.

"You've been busy recently, Sasuke. I hardly see you at home anymore," their mother commented, glancing at Sasuke. "Hatake-san must be pushing you quite hard."

Sasuke kept his head down. "It's not that bad."

Their father placed his chopsticks against the rim of his rice bowl as he adopted an all too familiar expression. "It is good for his development. When Itachi was his age, he was already an ANBU-"

"Chichi-ue," Itachi interrupted abruptly, uncaring that his action bordered on being rude. "Could you pass the daikon radish, please?"

Sasuke darted an almost imperceptible glance at him, conveying his relief, as their father passed the dish of pickled radish to him. Itachi simply did not wish to sit through another meal where their father lectured Sasuke on his career development.

"So, Nii-san. Have you seen Shisui recently?" Sasuke asked, no doubt wishing to change the topic.

Itachi raised a brow. "No. Is something the matter with Shisui?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I just haven't seen him coming round for a while."

That was true. Itachi had not paid much attention to it, but Sasuke's observation was accurate. Was Shisui hiding something from the clan?

"He must be busy with his police work," their mother remarked.

"That shouldn't bring him out of Konoha often, should it?" Fugaku asked. "Yashiro mentioned nothing of Shisui being absent from his tasks."

At that point, Itachi caught a brief, but odd look from his father. What was Fugaku thinking, Itachi wondered. Before he could come to any conclusion, his father turned to their mother.

"So, did you manage to find that herb you've been looking for?"

It was a rather abrupt shift in topic, Itachi thought as his mother replied. Something told him that his father, too, was hiding something.

Itachi could only hope that it had nothing to do with the threat that he sought to eliminate.

* * *

A pair of honey-brown orbs slid sideways to land on the closed cupboard nearby. Although a high level genjutsu had been utilized to disguise the contents inside, Tsunade could not help but wonder if the two other shinobi in the room could sense the sake jugs hidden within.

It did not matter anyway, one more mission to assign after this, and she would take a break. But right now, she had to try to focus.

Shifting her attention away from the cupboard, she turned to Kakashi, who was standing in front of her desk, his Icha Icha book peeking out of his vest pocket. Accepting a scroll from Shizune, Tsunade scanned the contents before she spoke.

"The Daimyou requires a team to secure an area for an event. He expects a certain rogue shinobi to make an appearance on that day. This rogue is your target. Your objective is to seek out this person and deliver him to the Daimyou's guards."

"Aa."

"The event is on Thursday, so you'd be expected to leave soon."

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "That's a good day for such a mission."

A good day? Pausing, Tsunade gave Kakashi a suspicious look. Whenever Kakashi took that tone, it meant that he was plotting something.

Finally deciding to brush her suspicions aside, Tsunade scribbled 'Team Kakashi' on the scroll and proceeded to stamp her approval on it. "That's done. You will depart tomorrow morning and I expect you to be back here by Friday midday."

Kakashi's brow quirked. "Friday?" With a small chuckle, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, Hokage-sama, it is already Tuesday today. If we leave tomorrow, that means that we have only two days to complete the mission. I'm afraid that's not enough."

Her suspicion rose again. What was Kakashi up to? It was only a B-rank mission, and two days were generous enough for those of Team 7's caliber. How long would it take them to secure a small area? Did Kakashi have an alternate reason to remain away from Konoha longer? Come to think of it, the missions he had taken in the last few weeks were the long, boring sort.

Something was not right and she needed to get to the bottom of it.

"So, how many days do you need?" she asked, keeping her voice even.

A thoughtful look crossed his face as he tapped his masked chin. "Well, I can get the team back by Saturday night. Sunday morning at the latest."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. That was almost two days more than was required. Now she knew that Kakashi was definitely up to something. And it was beginning to look as if he was trying to avoid returning to Konoha until Sunday. But why? Then a niggling thought suddenly occurred to her.

Keeping her eyes on the innocent-looking Kakashi, Tsunade instructed her assistant, "Shizune. Check the mission register for this weekend. Anyone departing on Friday or Saturday?"

Setting Tonton to the side, Shizune lifted the heavy book and began to thumb through the pages. When she arrived at the correct page, she paused. "Um… Tsunade-sama?" Tapping at a line on the page, Shizune continued, "Uchiha Itachi's ANBU squad is booked for a mission mobilizing on Saturday. Haruno Sakura is listed as their medic."

"Is that so?" Tsunade drawled slowly as she continued to watch the bland Copy-Nin.

Shizune nodded as she picked up the pet pig. "Yes. No mistake about it. She's the medic on the ANBU squad."

"Interesting," Tsunade muttered, raising a brow at Kakashi. "Don't you think so, Hatake?"

Kakashi blinked once. "Oh? So there is a clash?"

Tsunade gave him a dry look. "Yes."

"I guess that's too bad, Hokage-sama." Another slow blink of a dark eye followed before he continued casually, "In terms of priority, I believe Team Kakashi comes first for Sakura. Is that not correct?"

If Kakashi's intention was not clear before, it was definitely crystal clear now. Especially coupled with the meeting with Uchiha Itachi last week where the captain had requested for Sakura only to find that she was away on a mission. Tsunade immediate felt the onset of a headache. The situation was not ideal, especially considering who were involved. Perhaps she should have put her foot down before this, but the damage had been done. The question was, how should she proceed now?

Resting her chin on her fists, she ran the options through her mind as stared unseeingly at the two shinobi in front of her. Perhaps there was a way out of this. But something had to give.

"Get back here by Saturday morning, Hatake. That gives your team almost three days to complete the mission."

Kakashi looked as if he was about to protest.

"And that's non-negotiable," she added firmly.

The Copy-Nin shrugged. "Very well."

"If that's all, you are dismissed," Tsunade said briskly.

Kakashi inclined his head. Without further ado, he performed a teleportation jutsu and disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Tsunade sighed. "I'm not imagining things, am I, Shizune?"

Hitching Tonton higher, Shizune asked, "About Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi?"

Tsunade nodded. "How the hell did Sakura managed to get into this mess?"

"I don't think she did it on purpose." After a pause, Shizune added, "It must have been brewing for a while, since Sakura had been working with Uchiha Itachi for some time now. For about a year, I think."

Tsunade grimaced as she stood up, swiftly making her way to the cupboard. "Longer than that."

When she dispelled the genjutsu and then retrieved a jug of sake, Shizune gasped. "Sake?! Wait! What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Tsunade grumbled as she returned to her desk.

Shizune wisely dropped the topic. Instead, she asked, "So what are you going to do about it? About those two, I mean."

Tsunade poured some sake and downed it quickly before she replied, "Nothing."

Shizune blinked in confusion. "Nothing?"

Tsunade gave her a dark look. "I'm not planning to take sides on this."

To do otherwise would be foolish. After all, both Kakashi and Itachi were two of Konoha's best operatives and she truly did not want to be caught in the crossfire.

Tsunade sighed. "Shizune. Get Uchiha Itachi in here."

Nodding, the kunoichi left the room quickly.

Tapping her fingers on the desk, Tsunade frowned thoughtfully. In the meantime, she was simply thankful that the Uchiha's ANBU mission was not a time critical one, for it was best that she tried to smooth things over as much as she could. Still, something told her that eventually, the Uchiha and Hatake Kakashi would collide badly. And this was all because of her clueless apprentice, she glowered.

Not only that, she was certain that the new mission that Uchiha Itachi had commissioned would only complicate matters. Come to think of it, was it not about time Sakura gave a response? It had been almost twenty-four hours since she had briefed the pink-haired kunoichi about the solo mission.

Given this recent development, however, Tsunade was beginning to wonder if it was better if Sakura declined. Acting as the Uchiha's love interest would only incense Team Kakashi further. And as much as Tsunade wished for some excitement, she was certain that this would only bring headache and pain for all those involved.

A knock on her door sounded not long after Shizune had left. The chakra signature told Tsunade who it was. Finally, she thought.

"Shishou, it's me."

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal her pink-haired apprentice. Raising a questioning brow, Tsunade asked, "So? You made your decision."

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

"What is it then?"

Sakura inhaled deeply. "I accept the mission."

Tsunade almost groaned out loud.

* * *

Closing the front door of her apartment behind her, Sakura leaned back against it and exhaled loudly.

She had done it.

She had really gone and accepted the mission.

"Sakura."

She jumped at the unexpected voice. Head snapping to her left, her gaze landed on the shadowy figure reclining on her couch, half-hidden in the darkness. The voice had confirmed the identity of her intruder, and with a frown, she stabbed the light switch nearby, flooding her living room with brightness.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she exclaimed irritably, striding towards him. "What are you doing here?"

The Copy-Nin gave her a lazy wave, but said nothing. Instead, he continued to eye her speculatively. Sakura frowned. What was wrong with him?

"Sensei?" she prompted impatiently.

He blinked. "Hm, what was I here for?"

Sakura resisted the urge to growl. "You tell me." She cracked her knuckles. "Unless you're here just to use my couch."

Kakashi's eye creased. "Oh, I remember now. We have a new mission."

"Now?" she exclaimed incredulously.

Kakashi chuckled. "No. No. We're mobilizing tomorrow at dawn."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura muttered dryly, "I'm sure. More like mid-morning, right?"

Her sensei simply withdrew a rolled scroll from his vest, placing it on her coffee table. "The mission brief is in there. Memorize it," he instructed as he stood up.

"Yes, Sensei."

When he drew closer to her, he paused. Wondering what was going on, Sakura looked up to find Kakashi staring down at her with a puzzled look on his face. It was as if he was trying to see through her. It was kind of unnerving.

"Sensei?" she ventured uncertainly.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked pointedly.

Sakura tried not to flinch. Kakashi was ridiculously good at sniffing things like this out. But she knew that she could not give anything away. This was the first test of her ability to keep the mission confidential.

She took a deep breath. "Actually, yes."

"Ah." Kakashi waited for her to continue.

"What do you think of us applying for ANBU?" she improvised.

Her sensei blinked once, and then spoke slowly, "You mentioned this to Naruto and Sasuke?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. But don't you think it's a good idea?"

"Good idea?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

Then, unsurprisingly, his eye darted to some distant, probably fictitious thing, outside the window. Sakura had to bite her lips to stop herself from laughing when he straightened abruptly. Kakashi always did this when he was trying to avoid something.

"Ah, I believe I just saw someone I need to speak to urgently," he declared. "Very urgently."

Even before she could respond, her sensei was gone in a puff of smoke.

Chuckling under her breath, Sakura went to her coffee table and picked up the scroll. A quick read through it told her that it was not a complicated mission. But still, it was best that she packed for it in readiness for tomorrow morning.

As she went through a mental list of the necessary equipments, Sakura methodically placed one after another object into her waist pouch. At least they would be staying in the Daimyou's palace, so all she needed was her shinobi and medical equipment.

Suddenly, a familiar feeling came over her and she paused. When she looked up from her packing, she was unsurprised to find Uchiha Itachi standing by the window, watching her silently.

"Uchiha-san."

He inclined his head. "Haruno."

For a moment, she simply stared at him as she recalled her decision to accept the mission. The reality of it did not really hit her until now, though. It was difficult to imagine how she could act 'close' to the stoic ANBU captain before her, let alone in any romantic sense. But for all the reasons she had mulled over in the last twenty-four hours, she should really try.

His onyx eyes were fixed on her pouch.

"Is there something you need?" she asked, wondering if Itachi was here to talk about that mission, or for something else.

He gestured at her pouch. "Mission?"

Must he respond to her question with another question? Deciding to simply answer, she said, "We're leaving tomorrow morning."

As always, his expression was unreadable. "You are expected back on Saturday. We will depart for another mission on Sunday. Be prepared."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You booked me on another one? So soon?"

"Your schedule was clear when I requested your involvement in the mission two weeks ago. The original plan was to mobilize on Saturday, not Sunday."

She frowned in confusion. "So, there was some sort of clash?"

"Aa."

"Strange," she muttered as she closed up her pouch and set it to the side. "I guess Shishou didn't give Kakashi much choice about this new mission."

The Uchiha remained silent.

Then, when he turned around to leave, she stared at him in confusion. This was it? What about the other… mission? Tsunade had told her that she could not speak to anyone about it, but since Itachi was the client, it would be okay, right? And since she had accepted, should Itachi not say something about it?

Unless, of course, he did not know that she had accepted.

"Um… wait," she called out.

He paused to glance at her over his shoulder.

"You don't want to talk about…" She paused, gesturing in no particular direction. "About the other mission. The one you commissioned."

A dark brow rose as he turned to face her fully. "Yes?"

Annoyance coursed through her. How was she supposed to commence the mission if he was so reluctant to talk about it? Was this how it was going to be like for the next half a year? In that case, perhaps it was just as well that he HIRED her to ACT as his fiancé. Who would put up with him in the first place?

"I accepted it." She waited for a reaction, but when none was forthcoming, she continued impatiently, "So are you going to brief me or what?"

"You wish to do so now?" he asked smoothly.

She shrugged. "If not now, then when?"

He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, and then took a step towards her. "I commissioned your time for six months."

"Not all my time," she muttered with a frown. "I take it this mission came about because you're trying to stop your clan pressuring you into marriage."

He nodded once.

"Okay." She exhaled loudly. "I understand why you're doing this, but don't you think it's easier to just tell them to drop it?"

He raised a brow, clearly telling her without words that she underestimating his clan. She supposed he could be right. If they were all as hard-headed as Itachi and Sasuke, it would be difficult to convince them to drop the topic. She was pretty certain that Itachi had tried to do so before committing to this crazy idea. The poor guy must be truly desperate by now to do this, which made her wonder how long it had been going on.

"Well, if this mission is to succeed, I need a little more background information."

"That is acceptable." Walking to the end of the room, he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you wish to know?"

"For a start, just how long this had been going on? Meaning, how long have they been pushing you about it?" she asked.

"Two years." His brows furrowed slightly. "Perhaps three."

She blinked. "That long?"

"Aa."

No wonder he was getting desperate. She would have gone mad if her parents went on about something like that even for a year. But then again, she did not have to worry about such things. A stab of sadness jolted through her when she thought of the unfortunate accident that had claimed her parents' lives.

Shaking away the memory, she focused on the male before her. "What about the arranged marriage?" she asked. "What happened to that?"

If he was surprised that she knew about it, Itachi did not show it. Instead, he responded mildly, "It was not concluded."

"Because of this mission?" she prompted. "Because you told them you have someone else in mind?"

He nodded.

"So, what would this mission achieve? What do you want me to do?" she asked, eager to help him out of the situation. "Everyone will be surprised to see us as a couple all of a sudden."

"I will begin to court you. And you will accept."

At the imperious tone, a bit of her eagerness to help him seeped away. Then, realizing just how odd her reaction was, she prodded, "And then?"

"We will behave as a couple for several months before I propose. You will break off the engagement after half a year."

"Huh?" She frowned. "How do we break up? There must be some reason."

"It will be decided closer to that time."

She gave him a skeptical look. "You have no idea, do you?" she accused.

He did not respond to her comment.

A sigh of exasperation escaped her. "Alright. Fine. I think I get the idea." Then a sudden thought occurred to her. "So, how do you want me to act around you? When you begin courting me, I mean."

"Be yourself."

"But-"

"To do otherwise would be to raise suspicions," he pointed out evenly. "You will act as normal, and be discreet about this task."

She gave him a dry look. "I know it's all confidential." Then she frowned thoughtfully. "But wait. If I act like myself, then we'll never end up as a couple."

* * *

Itachi's brows lifted as her words registered. It appeared that he was truly undesirable, as far as she was concerned. And for that, he was truly grateful, for it meant that he had selected the right kunoichi for the task.

Still, if he was of a different temperament, he would have been affronted by her words. And apparently, she realized the same thing, for she suddenly winced.

Quickly, she added, "That did not come out right. What I meant was-"

"It is understood," he interjected smoothly.

"Then you agree that it is going to be difficult?"

"Aa." But not impossible. "We have six months."

She nodded. "I guess that's long enough time to develop… something," she murmured contemplatively.

He knew that they had to act as natural as possible and their 'courtship' had to progress at a gradual pace to avoid suspicions. But for the sake of keeping the clan off his back for a while, he was willing to attempt it.

"Still, it will be kind of sudden," she added. "Now that I think about it, isn't there some rule against fraternization between teammates?"

"There is," he confirmed.

She rubbed her forehead. "So, how could we possibly do this?"

"You're not formally a part of my ANBU squad."

She frowned. "Still, does that mean that I won't be joining you in future missions?"

His lips thinned at the notion. As much as he required her assistance in this farce, he did not wish to forgo her skills as a kunoichi.

"So?" she prompted.

"The Hokage is aware that the relationship is not real. She will not object to your participation in the squad," he finally said.

"Oh." She took a deep breath. "So, I guess we should start the ball rolling soon, huh, Taishou?"

"Perhaps you should begin to address me a little differently in public."

Her lips parted. "Oh." Then an uncomfortable chuckle escaped her. "Yes, that would help, wouldn't it?"

"Hm."

"So, the mission begins now, huh?"

"Aa."

She exhaled loudly. And then, meeting his eyes squarely, she lifted her chin and declared resolutely, "I will make this mission a success. You have my word on it."

Her determination was reassuring, he mused. He had certainly chosen the right kunoichi for the task. Soon, he would have to warn her about the possibility of the threat he had been anticipating. But not now. Now that this part of his plan was put in motion, he had something else to do.

"As the client, you won't have anything to complain about," she continued.

"I expect no less, Haruno."

Inclining his head at her, he backed away towards the window. Jumping out, he landed softly on the ground outside the kunoichi's apartment.

The chill of the night did not bother him as he walked back in the direction of the Uchiha compound. Eyes drawn to the moon overhead, Itachi paused for a while as he contemplated how was he supposed to court the pink-haired kunoichi.

The truth was, he had not the slightest notion of how to begin. After all, he had only ever done the opposite. He tended to avoid females, not pursue them.

But Shisui? Unlike him, Shisui was not averse to the females flocking around him. His elder cousin would be able to impart some ideas. However, Itachi knew that the information would come at a price. His lips thinned in annoyance. Shisui would taunt him mercilessly once the topic was broached, Itachi was certain of it.

And yet, it could not be helped.

Besides, asking Shisui might bring forth an additional advantage. Asking Shisui would disguise the other reason for his approach. Much as he disliked the implications, Itachi knew that he had to consider everyone as a potential spy. Considering what Sasuke had brought up recently about Shisui's absences, it would be foolish to ignore such fact.

The threat was too dangerous to ignore.

* * *

Sakura sat up, yawning as she did so. Then she turned around to take in her surroundings, a smile stretching over her face.

She could hardly believe that Kakashi had decided to stop by at this place. They could have returned to Konoha yesterday, but the Copy-Nin had insisted on staying overnight. Grinning now, she stood up and stretched. Not that she was complaining. It was not often that she got to stay in such a nice hotspring resort at Konoha's expense. And the long soak she had last evening definitely did some good to her tense muscles.

However, such good things never did last and soon, Team Kakashi were heading back to Konoha.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei. What was all that about?" she asked, pointing her thumb backwards in the direction of the resort.

He raised a questioning brow at her. "Hm?"

"What was what about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto piped in curiously.

"She meant the resort, Dobe," Sasuke muttered impatiently, and then turned a pair of onyx eyes at their sensei.

Kakashi blinked. "You did not like it?" he asked in an innocent tone.

She scowled. "Of course I liked it. But that's not the point." Turning to Sasuke, she said, "Don't you think it's strange?"

"Hm."

"You'd have normally dragged us back to Konoha immediately after a mission. So why a resort this time?" she asked.

"Well…" Kakashi paused. "Ah, look. That's Konoha!" he suddenly exclaimed. Then his visible eye widened. "Oh, I just remembered something back in the village. It's very urgent."

Recognizing his tactic, Sakura growled, "Oh no, you don't!"

But before any of them could do anything, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"That was fast," Naruto muttered, staring at the spot where Kakashi had been standing just seconds ago. "And there's no way he could see Konoha from this distance."

"He is hiding something," Sakura growled darkly. "This is the second time he has done this to me in the same week."

"What happened the first time?" Sasuke asked.

Deciding that it was just as good a time to broach the subject, Sakura turned to face her teammates fully. They needed to talk about this sooner or later, or they would remain in the same shinobi rank forever. She, for one, wanted to progress.

"I was asking him about ANBU."

Sasuke and Naruto immediately exchanged a look. That little move of theirs told Sakura that it was a topic that they had discussed before, just without her. Lip thinning, she planted her hands on her hips.

"I thought it was a little strange that neither of you brought up the topic recently, but I guess you've been talking about it. Just not with me," she gritted out.

Naruto blanched, while Sasuke pinned his eyes onto some indistinct spot in the distance. Her conversation with Itachi came back to her then, and she wondered if the Uchiha had been wrong in saying that her two teammates did not apply because they were worried that they would lose her. Maybe Naruto and Sasuke just wanted to do it without her. Whatever it was, she would find out today.

"What are you two hiding?" she asked tersely.

Naruto held his hands up, taking a step backwards. "What? Nothing!" he squeaked.

Deciding to push things a little, she shrugged. "Well, since you two are not planning on including me in whatever you're plotting, I guess you won't mind if I do the same," she huffed.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed warily. "What do you mean?"

"I'm thinking of applying to join the ANBU."

"What?" Naruto sputtered. "NO! You can't!"

"Why?" she shot back.

Eyes wide, Naruto snapped, "Because-" he broke off suddenly, and then flicked another one of those infuriating glances at Sasuke.

Tapping her feet, Sakura waited for him to finish his sentence.

Finally, it was Sasuke who spoke. "Will you be joining Itachi's squad if you make it into ANBU?" he asked evenly.

So, that was it. Itachi was right after all.

Casting her teammates chastising looks, she responded firmly. "You two should know that Team Kakashi always comes first for me."

Silence greeted her proclamation.

"So, you won't leave us?" Naruto finally asked, looking so uncertain that it was almost adorable.

Smiling, Sakura shook her head.

Naruto instantly brightened. "That's more like it!" Grinning widely, he grabbed her by the waist and then lifted her, spinning her around as she laughed. "I knew you wouldn't go to the bastard."

"Let me down, Naruto!" she choked out breathlessly when the arms around her became too tight.

When he did as she asked, her vision continued to spin even though her feet was planted firmly on the ground. She could just about make out Sasuke's expression, and from what she could tell, he seemed quite pleased too.

"Perhaps we should all apply," Sasuke suggested.

"Of course! Hell, I've waited YEARS for this!" Naruto cried out, punching a fist into the air. "All three of us can be in an ANBU squad together. And Kakashi can be our captain. S-Rank missions, here we come!"

Grinning at the exuberance of her blonde teammate, Sakura simply nodded.

"Kakashi left ANBU," Sasuke suddenly pointed out.

Unperturbed, Naruto pointed out, "But we'll be there this time, right?" He turned to her. "Right, Sakura-chan? So Kakashi will be more than happy to join us, ne?"

"Yeah," she replied happily.

Feeling much lighter, they continued to walk the short distance towards Konoha. Throughout the remainder of the journey, they continued to speak about the application for ANBU. When they finally caught sight of Konoha, they had reached the conclusion that they would discuss the issue with Kakashi before making the actual application. The team would not be the same without the lazy Copy-Nin, after all.

As Sakura drew closer to the Konoha gates, her steps faltered when she saw who was standing there. From the sudden tension in Naruto's form and the stillness in Sasuke's, so did her teammates.

"What's your brother looking this way for?" Naruto growled under his breath. "He'd better not be coming for Sakura."

Recalling the mission she was booked on, Sakura shrugged. "Could be. I'm going on a mission with his squad tomorrow."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "What? AGAIN?!"

A heavy sigh left her. "Naruto, you guys will always be first, okay? So, don't make a scene. I'll be back before you know it."

"But-"

"Shut up, Dobe," Sasuke ground out just as Itachi began to walk towards them.

Wondering about his approach, Sakura quickened her steps until she reached him. Only then did she notice the slight flicker of something in his eyes, like he was not certain about something. The oddness of it caught her off guard, and she stood staring at him in confusion.

"Sakura," Itachi greeted evenly.

She could hear the sharp intakes of breath behind her, but she did not move. Instead, she continued to stare at Itachi. He had just called her by her first name. After a few seconds had passed, she finally saw the meaningful light in his onyx orbs.

And then it clicked.

Yes, THAT mission. She closed her eyes to still her nerves. So, they were beginning now, were they? In that case, she had better pay attention. But right now, she had to act normal. With a slight hint of… um… intimacy.

Taking a step towards him, she murmured, "Itachi. Are you here about the mission tomorrow?"

Was that relief flickering in his eyes? She could not be sure. His name had felt awkward on her tongue, but she thought that it came out quite okay. She needed to relax, or every word that came out of her mouth would sound stilted.

"Aa."

"Morning, right?"

"Wait at your apartment. I will meet you there," he intoned smoothly.

At her apartment? Sakura clenched her teeth together to keep her jaw from dropping. Behind her, she could practically FEEL Naruto's agitation and Sasuke's confusion. Considering her own reaction at Itachi's proclamation, she could not really blame her teammates for their reaction. What on earth was Itachi trying to do?

Then, realizing that Itachi was still waiting for a response, she quickly opened her mouth. "Uh… Okay."

Inclining his head at her, and then sweeping a brief glance over her two stunned teammates, Itachi turned around and walked away. For a long while, they simply stared at his departing back.

Naruto was the first one to snap out of it. As he ran towards her, his blue eyes were flashing in annoyance.

"What the hell was that all about?! He called you Sakura!" Naruto roared indignantly.

Sakura resisted the urge to release a heartfelt groan. She could just see her life getting very interesting from now onwards.

* * *

A/N: And that's it for now. Hope you liked it. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews you all left for Chapter 3! Glad you're enjoying the story. I apologize for this late update. Christmas is coming up, so I'm a little snowed under between last-minute stuff at work and of course, Christmas shopping! So, please bear with me until this festive period is over, then the updates will be more regular. In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter…

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 4**

"He called you Sakura!" Naruto yelled indignantly.

Act normal, she told herself. Besides, she could not admit to anything at this point. It was definitely too soon. And anyway, if this was a real thing, she wouldn't just come right out and say that she and Itachi were dating. She would be too uncomfortable to do so.

Giving Naruto a dry look, she remarked, "That IS my name, as you know."

"But… But HE's using it!" Naruto protested loudly, his wide eyes flashing.

She grimaced inwardly. Of course Naruto just had to make this more difficult than it had to be. Striving to calm herself, Sakura inhaled deeply. Losing her cool would not help at this point.

"I guess first names gets… easier after a while," she finally said.

"Easier?!" Naruto echoed, blinking at her incredulously. Then he spun towards Sasuke. "You heard that, Teme?"

She lifted her eyes to her other teammate only to find him staring at her with a faintly puzzled expression, as if he was trying to see what she was hiding. Keeping her face devoid of any guilt, she stared back. After a moment, her dark-haired teammate simply grunted and looked away.

"Sakura!" Naruto complained.

"Look, we've known each other for a while now. Not to mention he's not the only one I address by his first name, you know," she pointed out irritably. "I don't call Shino by his family name."

Frowning, her blonde friend growled, "What has Shino got to do with this?"

"Nothing," Sakura gritted out. Naruto was missing the point as usual.

"Why the sudden change?" Sasuke asked.

"It is not sudden," she defended stiffly, raising her hands to pinch the bridge of her nose. This was going to be more painful than she thought it would be. If this was their reaction after such a simple thing, she hardly dared to imagine the confrontation when they realized that Uchiha Itachi was courting her.

"But-"

Naruto broke off when a puff of smoke suddenly appeared close to them. Then the white smoke cleared to reveal none other than their sensei. Eye crinkling, the silver-haired shinobi raised a hand in greeting.

"Yo." His single-eyed gaze swept over them. "You're still here?"

Sakura's eyes widened when she realized that they had been standing there arguing so long that Kakashi had time to go home, drop his kit and come back out.

"It's because of that damned Uchiha!" Naruto immediately railed, clenching his hands into fists. "The bastard called Sakura by her name!"

"Shut up, Dobe," Sasuke ground out.

As Sakura groaned aloud, Kakashi raised a brow. "Oh?" He blinked once, and then asked, "What else should he call her by?"

Naruto expelled a sound of frustration. "But he called her 'Sakura'!"

Another blink from their sensei, and then a thoughtful look came over his features. "Oh."

"Not you too, Sensei," Sakura moaned in frustration, wondering if accepting the mission was a mistake after all. How was she supposed to deal with these three teammates of hers?

"Are we going for dinner or not?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

Naruto's eyes widened in recollection. "Oh, yeah. We're supposed to go for ramen!" he hollered. "What are you all waiting for? Let's go!"

Grabbing their surprised sensei by the arm, the blonde rushed off in the direction of Ichiraku. Sakura closed her eyes, sighing as she did so. Talk about a short span of attention. Still, she had better take advantage of the situation. Right now, Naruto's main concern was his dinner. She had been given a short reprieve, but she had no doubt Naruto that would bring the topic up again when he next saw Uchiha Itachi.

Turning around, she was about to go after the two of them when Sasuke's even voice stilled her.

"Wait."

She glanced over her shoulder. "Sasuke?"

His eyes not leaving hers, Sasuke took the few steps to close the distance between them. When they were merely an arm's length apart, she raised her brows in question.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

It took a while before the younger Uchiha finally spoke, but when he did, his tone was gruff. "We're not certain that we… like… the idea of you getting closer to Itachi," Sasuke told her.

Sakura bit back a sigh. It was not good when Sasuke found it necessary to voice his opinion like this. Yeah, they would definitely flip once they found out that Itachi was courting her.

Knowing that she had to say something, she finally settled for, "You don't have to worry about that, Sasuke."

"Hm."

It was the truth after all. The whole thing was just part of a mission, so whatever it looked like from the outside, it was unlikely that she would get any closer to Uchiha Itachi than before. Her teammates had nothing to worry about.

Nothing at all.

* * *

Itachi sat on the tatami mat, staring out into the darkness of the night as he thought over what had happened earlier in the day. He did not miss the odd looks his younger brother had been casting in his direction since he returned. Although he could not be certain, Itachi could guess the reason behind it.

Sakura.

After all, one had to be blind or completely senseless not to notice the tension in both Sasuke's and Naruto's form when he had addressed the kunoichi by her first name earlier that day. Her teammates had not been pleased by it.

Itachi wondered how Sasuke would take the news that he was courting Sakura. He had never been able to ascertain if his younger brother's interest in the kunoichi was platonic, or if there was something more. In any case, it should not matter too much as this so-called courtship between him and Sakura was merely a farce. Besides, if Sasuke truly wished to keep Sakura for himself, such a small thing should not deter him.

That decided, Itachi continued to stare out into the night. It was silent bar the subtle hoots of the owls prowling the grounds for food. At least, that was what most people could hear.

He, however, was more than capable of detecting the almost imperceptible sound of sandals lightly scraping against the rough surface of the boundary wall surrounding the Uchiha compound. Wondering what it was, he expanded his senses in the attempt to identify the individual climbing over the wall.

When the identity of the shinobi became clear, Itachi's brows furrowed. What was Shisui up to?

Knowing that there was only one way to find out, Itachi performed a simply jutsu to mask his presence and proceeded to track the other Uchiha. He found himself heading towards the edge of the village. Keeping to the shadows, his target moved stealthily through the streets of Konoha until he reached the perimeter. Then, the dark figure leapt over the Konoha boundary walls.

Shisui's action was nothing short of suspicious, and Itachi did not like the implications. Still, he had better reserve judgment until he had proof of Shisui's loyalties.

With that thought, Itachi went over the wall and continued to trail the other Uchiha through the dense forest outside the village. To ensure that Shisui did not know that he was being followed, Itachi kept a good distance between them.

Itachi estimated that he had travelled about ten miles out when his senses prickled in warning. He immediately stilled at the not-so-foreign presence. A frown of displeasure made its way to his face at the realization that his task of following Shisui would be cut short.

It was that nuke-nin again. The one who had approached him twice before. The one who was apparently foolish enough not to be persuaded to remain out of his sight. The organization that had hired him must be compensating him well for this task.

He knew what the nuke-nin wanted.

The location of the scroll.

Somehow, the organization had managed to discover his role in the events more than a decade ago. Itachi knew that such a thing could only mean that they had a spy in Konoha. After all, as far as he was aware, those who knew about the scroll had been either eliminated or… otherwise taken care of.

Perhaps it was time he dissuaded the nuke-nin permanently, the way he had done with the nuke-nin's predecessors. If Itachi recalled correctly, this was the third one they sent in just as many years.

Soon enough, the figure swooped down from the sky on a white clay bird. A smirk gracing his features, the blonde nuke-nin jumped off the creature as the bird touched the ground. He raised a hand in greeting, allowing the sleeve of his black cloak to fall to his elbows.

"Uchiha Itachi. We meet again."

Itachi found no reason to respond.

"Tch." The nuke-nin rolled his eyes. "You're going to remain stubborn, hm? I can tell, yeah."

Still, Itachi simply stared at him. Whether that seemingly carefree attitude was simply a façade or not, Itachi could not tell. But he remained wary of the shinobi opposite him. After all, he knew enough about that organization who had sent this nuke-nin to understand that they only hired exceptional shinobi.

The nuke-nin shook his head slowly. "Well, I might as well get this over with. Maybe this time, things will go smoother, hm?"

It would be hard to kill this one, but not impossible, Itachi decided thoughtfully.

Unaware of his thoughts, the nuke-nin continued, "You've heard this before, so I'll make it brief, yeah. Reveal the location of the scroll and I'll leave you alone." Blue eyes narrowed then. "But if you don't, you will find yourself regretting it."

Itachi raised a brow. Regretting it? The cowardly organization had been sending nuke-nins to attack him directly for years, to no avail. When would they reveal their identity? Perhaps it was time to force it out of this pawn of theirs.

The nuke-nin smirked. "You know, my orders are to attack your family next if you don't cooperate, yeah. So what do you say to that?"

They would find it a mistake to target any one from the Uchiha clan. For after the incident ten years ago with Madara, ever since they had been made to see sense before launching a suicidal attack on the Hokage, the Uchiha clan was stronger than before. But this was exactly why he could not afford to take a wife. At least, not one who could not defend herself. Such enemies would seek to use her as a bargaining chip.

The mission he had commissioned from the Hokage meant that Sakura would soon be involved in all this. However, Itachi was confident that the organization would find it difficult to subdue this particular kunoichi.

A small movement caught Itachi's attention, and his eyes went to the nuke-nin's hand.

Itachi immediately leapt up in the air.

A lump of clay landed where his feet had been merely seconds ago and promptly exploded. Streaking away to avoid the debris thrown up by the blast, Itachi soon found himself standing on a tree limb, half hidden behind the foliage. He could not see his opponent, but such a thing was common in ninja battles.

Knowing that the nuke-nin would soon attack again, Itachi took out a handful of explosive tags from his vest. With a flick of his wrist, the tags found their way to various trees. The tags detonated a few moments later, but the nuke-nin remained hidden.

The first two times they had fought had given Itachi enough information about the nuke-nin's fighting style. As far as he knew, techniques utilizing explosives normally required the shinobi to be far away from his target to remain safe from his own attack. Therefore, Itachi knew that he had to move closer to gain the upper hand.

The slight spike in chakra towards the east was the only sign Itachi required to pinpoint the nuke-nin's position. In a flash, he was by the nuke-nin's side with his katana drawn. Their eyes met for a second, and then Itachi swept his blade up in an arc towards his opponent. The first slash sliced into the blonde's chest, but the cut was too shallow to immobilize him. Itachi swung around and brought forth his katana again.

Unperturbed, the nuke-nin deflected the blow with a pair of kunai and smirked. "You're not too bad, hm? It'll be great to blast you to pieces. A worthwhile piece of art."

Itachi did not bother answering. His opponent was moving swiftly, slashing his pair of kunai in a pattern he was not familiar with. A hiss escaped him when the blade connected with the fleshy part of his left arm, but fortunately for him, it was only a minor cut. Nothing that would incapacitate him for long.

"So, what is in that scroll exactly? My client seems to think there's this incredible jutsu hidden inside. You must have seen it, yeah," the nuke-nin remarked as they continued to trade blows. "Is it really so powerful?"

The scroll certainly contained the instruction to gain one of the most powerful doujutsu techniques in the known world, but it was useless to anyone but those with Sharingan. And thus, it could only be an Uchiha who was leading this unknown organization. But who?

The nuke-nin sneered as he kicked out. "You know, I don't think you really know where the scroll is. Otherwise, I would have seen some of this great jutsu, yeah?"

Itachi remained silent as he continued to block and attack. The tip of his katana met the nuke-nin's thigh this time, but the blonde simply twisted away before the blade could sink deeper.

Flipping backwards until he was a safe distance away, the nuke-nin huffed. "You're not very talkative, are you? It's boring, yeah."

His opponent's hands went into the pouches by his hips, and Itachi watched as those appendages moved, shaping the clay. Then to his surprise, the blonde streaked towards him. Did he not realize that close quarter combat was not beneficial for him?

Foolish nuke-nin, Itachi thought as he blocked a punch. With a deft twist, he clamped his fingers around the nuke-nin's neck. It was then that their gazes met again.

"Who are they?" Itachi asked quietly, tightening his grip.

The nuke-nin coughed once, and then sneered, "Do I look like I care?"

"Are they Konoha's missing nins?"

"Could be." Eyes gleaming with what could only be described as maniacal glee, the nuke-nin choked out, "Now, let's see how you avoid this, yeah!"

Itachi's eyes widened in disbelief when he realized what the nuke-nin intended to do.

In a suicidal move, the blonde shinobi uncurled his fingers and released his explosives.

Knowing that he had no time to waste, Itachi loosened his hold and immediately performed a substitution jutsu.

A deafening explosion rocked the forest.

Shielding his eyes from the bright flare, Itachi dropped down behind a large boulder to protect himself. The aftershocks of the blast rippled through the air, and it was a while before Itachi could open his eyes.

When the smoke cleared, the blonde was no longer present.

Raising himself to his feet, Itachi clenched his teeth together, irked by the fact that his opponent had somehow managed to escape. But he had learnt something new about the nuke-nin this time round. Something that could pose a problem in future battles.

The nuke-nin was clearly suicidal.

* * *

Sakura was already packed in readiness for her mission when she heard the knock. Knowing who it was, she padded across the living room to open the door.

Itachi stood outside her door, and the unfamiliar sight made her pause momentarily. He usually came through the window, so it was a strange sight to see him there. Then again, the front door was probably a better place than the window to display their… um… budding relationship.

"Uchi-" She broke off when she realized her mistake. It was best to get used to calling him by his first name even though there was no one to hear, so that she had a smaller chance of slipping up. "Itachi," she finally greeted.

"Sakura," he returned evenly. "Are you prepared to leave?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

Locking the door behind her, Sakura stepped up next to him and began to walk. Only then did she notice the bandage on his left arm. When had he hurt himself?

"What happened to your arm?" she asked curiously.

"A minor injury," he replied in a tone that invited no further questions.

Sakura frowned. As far as she knew, the bandage was not there yesterday, so Itachi must have sustained the injury last night. But who could have inflicted a wound on Itachi? Most shinobi could not even get close to him unless he allowed them to do so.

"Let me have a look at it," she offered.

"It's not necessary," he replied shortly.

Letting out an impatient hiss, she said under her breath, "Don't you think it'll look a bit odd if I didn't heal you? Especially since we're now supposed to be getting… closer?"

His steps faltered to a halt. Slowly, he turned to face her, wearing a forbidding look. For a moment, Sakura wished that she had not offered to help. Mission or not, this was still Uchiha Itachi and he was not the most approachable person in Konoha. And as embarrassing as it sounded, she had to admit that that particular look of his never failed to unsettle her. Whilst it was not as daunting as before, but she could still feel the prickle of apprehension running up her spine each time he did it.

Finally, when she was about to tell herself to leave it, Itachi finally nodded. Gesturing to the nearby bench, he indicated for her to follow him. It was only when he turned to walk away that she released the breath she had been holding.

Get a grip, Sakura, she scolded herself as she closed the distance between them. She had to start thinking of him as someone she LIKED, not someone she felt uncomfortable around, or this little mission of hers would be doomed to failure.

Sitting down on the bench beside him, she took the arm he offered. She carefully peeled off the bandages until the wound was revealed. A wound from a kunai, she immediately deduced. Sneaking a peek up at him through her lashes, she wondered if she should voice the question in her mind. Should she risk it? Calling forth her healing chakra and placing a glowing palm against his wound, she tried to decide if the satisfaction of her curiosity was worth it.

"It is not necessary for you to know," he said abruptly, even before she voiced a single word.

She lifted her head and their eyes met. They were so close that she could almost feel his breath on her cheeks. It was by no means the first time they sat like this, but for some reason, she was more aware of his proximity this time.

Jerking her gaze away, she focused her attention on his injury. Not before long, the wound healed, leaving only a slight pink mark to mar his skin. She knew that it would soon fade into nothing.

Removing her hands, she declared, "That's done."

"Hm." He glanced at his arm briefly. "Thank you."

She stood up. "That's my job. Just be more careful next time okay?"

He gave her an odd look then, once she could not quite decipher. Feeling a little unnerved by it, she quickly turned away.

"Let's go."

And with that, they continued their journey to the main gates of the village, their usual meeting point. When it came into view, she noted that both Genma and Shino were already there waiting.

"Hi, guys!" she greeted cheerfully, raising her hand in a small wave.

She was not able to tell if Shino was surprised to see them arrive together, since his face was practically fully hidden behind his sunglasses and his high collar. Genma, however, was staring at them wide-eyed as they approached.

"Well, look what we have here," Genma exclaimed. "Did we miss the rendezvous point or something?"

"You didn't. We are supposed to meet here at the gates," Shino supplied blandly.

Ignoring the bug-specialist, Genma raised a brow at them. "So you two decided to take a slow stroll here together, huh?"

"Aa," Itachi replied evenly.

A stupefied look crossed Genma's face as he digested Itachi's response. Sakura almost laughed out loud at the sight of the usually talkative Shiranui being rendered speechless. Coupled with Itachi's stoicism, the whole thing was quite funny.

"That was… unexpected," Genma muttered with a perplexed frown.

"We're behind time," Shino pointed out flatly, lifting his mask over his face.

Inclining his head at Shino, Itachi instructed, "Proceed in the usual formation."

"Yes, Taishou!" they chorused in unison.

They took to the trees without pause. As always, Shino led the way, while she and Genma moved in the centre, ending up with their captain. Genma usually stayed around twenty to thirty feet in front of her, therefore Sakura was surprised when he slowed down so much that they ended up side by side.

"So, what's going on?" Genma asked in an exaggerated whisper.

Continuing to move forward, she slanted him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Genma inclined his head backwards. "He actually _walked_ with you to the gates?"

"You make it sound as if there's something wrong with that," Sakura remarked dryly. "We just bumped into each other on our way here, that's all."

"Oh."

Apparently, that was enough to satisfy the inquisitive shinobi. They continued to journey for a while in silence, and then, unsurprisingly, Genma smacked his mask-covered forehead with the palm of his hand.

"What the hell! It can't possibly by what I'm thinking about," he muttered.

Sakura did not need to ask Genma what he meant. After all, the whole idea of she and Itachi being a couple was nothing short of preposterous. Closing her eyes, she sighed inwardly. It looked like a lot of people would be surprised when their so-called relationship became public.

* * *

They arrived at their destination shortly before midnight. The darkness hid them well, and with the chakra masks, they were all but undetectable. With their backs pressed against the side of the cliff face, his ANBU squad stealthily moved closer towards the cluster of wooden houses beyond the cliffs.

Itachi's steps slowed when the kunoichi before him halted. He could just about make out Shino and Genma's forms some distance ahead, and the former was passing a message to Sakura. After a moment, she glanced over her shoulders at him and raised her hand. A series of hand signals followed, relaying the information she had received from Shino. Then she waited expectantly for his orders.

There were five jounin-level sentries posted around the compound, but that was not all. Shino's bugs had also detected several other shinobi within those houses. The latter was possibly guarding over the hostages.

Their main target, however, was not present.

Irked by the inconvenience, Itachi ran through the options in his mind. In recent weeks, a group of rogue shinobi had been holding various civilian villages hostage, demanding payment from the daimyou of the Fire Country for their release. The daimyou had paid for the release of two villages, but the rogues were not satisfied. Instead, they held this particular village up for ransom. Having had enough, the daimyou finally contacted Konoha.

Their task was to release the hostages before anyone was killed. Then they were to assassinate the leader of this group of rogue shinobi to eliminate further threats of this nature, a simple task if not for the small fact that the leader was absent.

Settling on a decision, he glanced at the waiting kunoichi. With a few hand gestures, he relayed the amended plan of action. Sakura nodded, and then moved away from him to pass the information to the other two members of the squad.

Soon, Shino and Genma backtracked towards him stealthily. As they passed, they nodded at him and signaled that they would track down the missing leader of the group. Shino's bugs would be able to do so more efficiently than the rest of them, which was why Itachi had instructed him to go. Then Genma's attack skills would take over when they found their target. They would return to this village as soon as they completed their task.

He would handle the group of shinobi in the village, whilst Sakura attended to any injured villagers. But since there were only two of them, they had to work to a different strategy. As one formed in his mind, Itachi quickly relayed it to the kunoichi beside him.

Even with the mask covering her face, Itachi was able to see that Sakura's eyes had lighted up as she digested the information. It was most… amusing to find that she took so much pleasure in what could only be described as destructive violence. And yet, this was possibly why she was skilled at what she did.

Then, with the new strategy firmly in their minds, they separated in different directions.

* * *

"SHANNARO!"

A thundering sound followed as Sakura's glowing fist brought down one side of the cliff, doing it in such a way to cause maximum amount of noise, but no damage to the actual village. Dust clouded the night air, completely obscuring everyone's vision.

But it achieved its purpose, Sakura thought with a smirk as the rogue shinobi darted out of the houses. They could not fight in the houses, for the fear of endangering the villagers. It was a different matter once the enemies were outside.

"There!" one of them shouted, pointing at her.

"Get her!" another one yelled as he streaked towards her.

"Come get me if you're fast enough," she taunted as she flipped backwards away from them, leading them further from the houses.

She could see Itachi appearing on the other side. He had formed two other Kage Bunshins, and together with the clones, they form a barrier blocking the rogues from the houses. Unfortunately, Sakura noted that the commotion also brought out the villager. One by one, the doors and windows creaked open to reveal anxious faces.

"Stay inside!" she shouted at the villagers. "It's not safe out here."

Obviously sensing help, they quickly ducked back into their homes, closing the doors and windows securely behind them. Certain that they were as safe as they could possibly be, Sakura spun around to face the rest of her opponents. The group of rogue shinobi had split up, half facing her and the other half facing Itachi.

Sneering menacingly, one of them rushed headlong at her. She stood unmoving until he reached her. Then, a single chakra-enhanced punch was all it took to send him flying into the nearest cliff face. Then, his saner comrades approached her in a more cautious manner.

A quick glance sideways told her that Itachi was doing well with his own opponents, having burnt two of them to a crisp with his fire jutsu. He was as calm as ever when he weaved and twisted around another two rogue shinobi, his movements almost resembling a precise dance.

Turning her attention back to her own battle, Sakura directed a concentrated amount of destructive chakra into her right foot and stomped down. The ground before her cracked open, instantly swallowing three of her opponents, leaving only two last enemies for her to contend with.

They circled her slowly, their eyes not leaving her. One of them held a pair of curved sickle blades, and the other held a long katana. These two would be harder to defeat, she thought with a grimace.

Before she could make a move, one of them released a water jutsu, forcing her to leap out of the way, clinging to the side of the cliff with her chakra-enhanced hands and feet. A flash of movement caught her attention, and the next thing she knew, pain pierced through her hip. Knowing that she could still fight, she directed some medical chakra there to numb the pain, and then proceeded to jump down the cliff.

Her two opponents were waiting for her when she landed. As one of them formed the seals for another water jutsu, Sakura quickly formed the seals for a wind technique. A gush of water came at her just as her wind technique took effect. Standing still, she caught the speeding fluid with her wind technique, manipulating it so that it spun faster and faster around her. When it gathered enough momentum, she released the combined jutsu towards her opponents.

A choked cry burst from the rogue nins as the attack connected with them. Panting slightly, Sakura watched as the water slowly ebbed, revealing to her that her enemies no longer posed any danger to her or the villagers. Finally, she thought, lowering her mask to push a clump of wet hair away from her eyes.

When she glanced away from the incapacitated rogue-nins, she found her captain walking towards her. He, too, had disabled his opponents. His eyes swept over the mutilated ground beyond her before settling his gaze on her.

"Just a little damp," she explained with a small smile.

"Aa." He sounded amused.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to see if he sustained any injuries.

"I'm uninjured," Itachi informed her in his usual smooth tones. Glancing away, he added, "The area is clear."

"That's good to know," she sighed with relief.

"See to the villagers," he instructed, reaching up to pull his mask down. "Some may be injured."

She nodded once. "Yes, Taishou." Jogging to the nearest house, she yelled, "It's okay to come out now! Those who are injured, please come forward for treatment."

With her announcement, the doors and windows opened one by one. Sakura settled on the wooden platform outside the nearest house and waited for them to approach her, wincing slightly when she pulled on the wound at her back. She had to heal the villagers first, and later, she would take care of her own. Soon, she was treating the injuries sustained by the villagers during their captivity. Fortunately, there was nothing too serious, and soon, all the minor injuries were healed.

"Thank you, Kunoichi-san," a middle-aged lady bowed in gratitude as she hugged her recently-healed son.

"Yes. Who knows how long we'd be trapped here if you didn't come," an older man added.

Smiling at them, she said, "I'm glad you're all safe."

At that point, Itachi approached her. "Ready to leave?" he asked.

A red-robed old man came up to them before she could respond. She guessed that this was the village head, from his authoritative posture.

"Konoha is one day's journey away. You must rest here for the rest of the night," the village head insisted. "Please accept this as a gesture of our appreciation."

Sakura directed a questioning glance at Itachi, knowing that they were meant to remain close to the village anyway until Shino and Genma returned. She would love to rest in a comfortable place before embarking on the return journey, since the last time she had slept was about twenty –four hours ago. But it was Itachi's call, and she did not know how he felt about it.

"We should be able to find two spare rooms," the village head continued.

"That will not be necessary."

Sakura resisted the urge to slump in disappointment. Of course Itachi would chose to camp outside when there were perfectly comfortable bed available for them to sleep in. Or maybe he would simply make them take that eighteen-hour journey back to Konoha without any rest.

"One room will be sufficient for the two of us."

Huh? For a moment, Itachi's words did not make sense at all. Then, when it hit her, her lips parted in surprise. She tried to catch the Uchiha's attention, but he had already turned away to follow the village head. Knowing that it would be awkward to ask for two rooms now, she clamped her mouth together and trailed after them.

Not long afterwards, she found herself walking through the door to a room with a double bed. She scowled inwardly at the sight. Would Itachi make her sleep on the floor?

"Is there anything else we can do for you?" the village head asked.

"Two of our comrades may arrive soon. They would appreciate a room to sleep in," Itachi told him evenly.

"Ah, I'll make sure that someone waits for them." With a bow, the village head said, "I bid you good night. And once again, thank you for helping us."

Sakura smiled a little stiffly at the man, while Itachi simply nodded. By the time she and her captain were finally alone in the room, she was almost bursting from the question she had wanted to ask ten minutes ago.

"Genma and Shino will be wondering why we're together in a SINGLE room," she hissed as he closed the door behind them. "With a DOUBLE bed!"

He barely glanced at her as he walked towards the window. "This would reinforce the fact that we are closer than mere colleagues."

She blinked in realization. "Oh."

The Uchiha turned back to her. "Have you forgotten about your other mission?" he asked mildly.

Wincing inwardly, Sakura glanced away from his piercing gaze. Oh, Sakura, you idiot! As stupid as it was, she had actually forgotten all about it. The whole ANBU mission had been so _normal_ that she had easily slipped back into her 'mission mode'. How was she supposed to keep _the other mission_ in mind all the time?

Raising a hand, she rubbed tiredly between her eyes. She was just beginning to get a greater appreciation of just how much control one needed to possess to work on such a mission. If she was smart, she should simply forget her own identity and think of herself as someone else. Someone who was Itachi's love interest.

Inhaling deeply, she shifted her gaze back to the Uchiha. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Hm."

She might not be able to read anything from his bland expression, but she could tell that he was not convinced.

"I'm just… getting a grip on it." She hugged her arms around herself. "It's just a little harder than I thought," she admitted grudgingly.

Eyes not leaving hers, he sat down on the bed. After a moment of silence, he remarked, "The Uchiha clan will not be easily fooled."

"I know," she muttered.

"Sit beside me."

She blinked. "What?"

He regarded her wordlessly, obviously waiting for her compliance. Come on, Sakura, she chided herself. He just asked her to sit beside him, for crying out loud. It was no big deal, even if it was on a bed, especially since they were meant to be intimate with each other at some point. Taking a deep breath, she gave herself a mental shake.

"Okay," she assented.

She quickly dropped down on the bed beside him, her action causing the bed to bounce a little. Staring straight ahead at the picture hanging on the wall, she tried to relax. But it was hard since she could feel the warm bare skin of his arm pressing against her own.

"Not so bad, I guess," she muttered out loud. "Just a little awkward."

He did not say a word, so she slanted a questioning glance up at him to find him staring down at her with an unreadable look. Then, his attention shifted to a spot behind her, and she saw his eyes narrow slightly.

"What?" she asked, puzzled by his behaviour.

"You are bleeding," he remarked.

"Oh!"

She twisted around, instantly spotting the smear of blood on the light-colored sheets. Only then did she remember the chakra she had sent to numb the area. No wonder she had forgotten about it. Deciding that the bed was messed up enough, she quickly stood up.

"Why have you not healed yourself?" Itachi asked quietly, but there was a hint of steel in his voice.

"I forgot," she said impatiently, reaching to the side to place her glowing palm on her wound.

"It should not be left untreated. Or you might become a liability to the squad."

She rolled her eyes then. "Nice to know that you care," she muttered dryly.

He raised a brow.

At that moment, Sakura truly felt like sticking her tongue out at him. "Let me finish healing myself." Then, feeling a little more comfortable, she added, "Then we can continue practicing sitting together, okay?"

She swore she could almost see his lips twitch.

* * *

Itachi was barely listening as his father discussed some inconsequential topic with his mother. There were only the three of them at dinner tonight since Sasuke was visiting his blonde teammate.

As he chewed his food slowly, Itachi thought over the mission he had just completed.

Genma and Shino had returned to the village just before dawn with the unconscious leader of the rogue nins. After a few hours of rest, they had commenced the journey back to Konoha. Since arriving in Konoha several hours ago, Itachi had submitted the mission report to the Hokage, while Genma delivered the rogue nin to Morino Ibiki. The Hokage had been pleased by their success, but then again, Itachi did not recall a time he had failed to complete a mission successfully.

As he finished his dinner, Itachi found his thoughts wandering back to the event from a couple of nights ago. The most recent encounter he had with the nuke-nin stressed the importance of finding out who the traitor in Konoha was.

The only person who seemed to be acting suspicious was Shisui. Much as Itachi disliked the notion of suspecting someone in the Uchiha clan, he knew that he could not rule it out. And in case Shisui was truly the traitor, Itachi could not afford to let him know that he was being suspected. Therefore he would have to come up with some excuse to approach the other Uchiha.

Knowing that he had the perfect excuse, Itachi stood up from the table. Inclining his head at his father and mother, he proceeded to make his way out of the house. Shisui was normally home around this time.

"Where are you going, Itachi?"

Itachi turned around to find his father standing by doorway. "Visiting Shisui."

"Just get back in time for the clan meeting."

Itachi had completely forgotten about it, but he nodded. Before Fugaku could say anything more, he left the house, walking the short distance towards Shisui's house. As he walked, he passed the shrine, the location of the meeting tonight.

The clan meetings were tiresome, but tonight, it could not be avoided since he did not have a mission. Still, however tedious those meetings were, it had occasionally been useful in the past. Without it, he would not have found out about the discontent in the Uchiha clan. Without it, he would not have caught it in time and put a stop to it. Without that, the Uchiha clan might not even exist in Konoha today.

Itachi grimaced at the unpleasant reminder of the incident.

First, there had only been a handful of Uchihas who were discontented with the way things were run. Clutching at the ideology left behind by their founder, Madara, these individuals wished for greater power over Konoha. The fact that the Senju clan ended up heading the village did not sit well with them. Then more and more had grown greedy, dissatisfied, and in response to that, they had planned and plotted to overthrow the Hokage.

The entire situation had reached its boiling point about ten years ago, with the Uchiha clan split into two factions. One had chosen to remain loyal to Konoha, and the other had chosen to do all they could to take over Konoha for themselves.

Then the catalyst finally presented himself.

Madara.

Itachi had found out that Madara was the one who had been sowing the seeds of discontent in the first place, in the quest to push the more 'ambitious' Uchihas into seeking the technique hidden in the forbidden scroll.

It was fortunate that Itachi had managed to put a stop to it, with the assistant of the Sandaime and the 'less ambitious' Uchihas. Madara had been eliminated, as well as his Uchiha and non-Uchiha followers.

Itachi had thought that the entire debacle had ended then, only to realize that they must have accidentally allowed someone to escape when the first nuke-nin approached him several years ago. Initially, Itachi had wondered just how serious the situation could be if one or two had escaped. Then, recently, the blonde nuke-nin had let slip that he had been hired by an organization. An organization coming after the scroll was certainly not something to be taken lightly.

And now, he was once again scouring the Uchiha compound in search of the single suspect he had. Spotting his target, Itachi leapt upwards, landing soundlessly on the red tiles. Shisui was seated on the roof, his legs dangling over the sides. A plate of half-eaten fruits sat beside him, apparently forgotten.

Raising his hand in greeting, the older Uchiha called out, "Hey, Itachi. How are things?"

"Fine," Itachi murmured as he closed the gap between them.

Not bothering to sit, he simply stood there, staring out into the night sky. The stars were glittering bright against the inky backdrop, clustering around a pale half-moon. It was a good night to be star-gazing, if one had the inclination to do so.

"So, what brings you here?" Shisui asked, breaking the silence.

Itachi slanted a glance at the other Uchiha. "I wish to talk."

A dark brow rose in surprise. "This is a new one," Shisui commented and then grinned. "Well, talk then. I'm listening."

Itachi took a moment to consider his words, and then he asked, "How does one court a woman?"

Shisui's eyes widened instantly, and then he gaped. For a long while, he simply stared wordlessly, seemingly stunned speechless. Itachi could see the questions running through Shisui's mind, and knew that before long, those questions would be voiced.

"What?!" Shisui finally burst out. "Wait! Are you asking ME how to chase a woman?"

"Yes."

A blink followed. And then Shisui threw his head back and laughed loudly, slapping his hands on his thighs as he did so. Itachi fought the urge to frown at Shisui's reaction. Was it truly necessary for him to laugh?

"Well, I suppose as popular as you are with the ladies, you never really made a move on your own, did you?" Shisui smirked. "Who is this unfortunate girl, by the way? A civilian?"

"No."

Shisui looked surprised. "A kunoichi?"

Itachi did not answer. After all, it would not be long before Shisui found out the identity of the girl, all by himself.

"It can't be Anko," Shisui muttered thoughtfully.

Anko? Itachi's brow drew together at the thought. Anko was certainly not a kunoichi he had considered, even though it was likely that she would be able to hold her own against most opponents. Still, Anko was not a good choice, for the clan would not find her suitable.

"So who's the girl, Itachi?" Shisui prodded eagerly.

"Her identity is not an issue."

"You wanted my help, right?" Shisui retorted in a meaningful tone, a smirk growing on his face. "What's in it for me?"

"Hm." Then Itachi looked away. After a contemplative pause, he said, "Never mind. I'll find someone else."

Shisui straightened, sobering up. "Huh?"

"Perhaps you're simply too busy," Itachi added evenly.

"Busy?"

"It has been… difficult to locate you."

Shisui blinked, and then quickly looked away. It was a reaction which was a cause for concern, for it indicated that the older Uchiha was hiding something.

"Well, I've been in and out lately," Shisui explained, gazing out into the distance.

"Hm."

"But it's nothing important."

Shisui was a little too insistent, Itachi thought. Concern grew within him as he wondered just what the other Uchiha had gotten involved in. It was beginning to look suspicious.

"So, you want to know how to get the girl or not?" Shisui asked, obviously changing the topic.

"Hm."

The gleam of anticipation in Shisui's eyes made Itachi wary.

"Here's what you should do…"

* * *

A/N: That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review if you could. Thanks!!

:elle6778:


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! This extra long chapter will hopefully add to your Christmas cheer. As always, thanks for reviewing the previous chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope you'll enjoy this latest instalment.

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 5**

If it was not for Naruto's persistence, he would not even be here. The loud voices around them irritated him, but Sasuke accepted that it was a bar, therefore such a thing could not be avoided. Still, they could perhaps tone down a little, he thought with a small frown.

"Say, Teme. Didn't Sakura say that she'd be back from her ANBU thing today?"

Sasuke replaced his empty glass on the table. "Aa."

The blonde instantly brightened, straightening to his feet. "Maybe she's already back! Let's go find her."

"It's almost midnight," Sasuke pointed out dryly.

"Sakura won't mind, I'm sure," Naruto batted back without pause, already out of the seat.

Grudgingly, Sasuke stood up. He had a feeling that Sakura WOULD mind. Knowing how hard his older brother could push his team, it meant that Sakura was most probably fast asleep, recovering from the mission. He understood Naruto's concern each time their pink-haired teammate left with the ANBU for missions, but visiting her at this time of the night would probably earn them nothing but black eyes.

Nevertheless, he would follow the blonde fool, if only to stand back and watch while Sakura let rip, Sasuke thought with an inward smirk.

As they passed the bar, Sasuke caught sight of the confirmation that Sakura was back from her mission. Genma was perched on a high stool, drinking sake with Kiba. Naruto had seen them as well, for he immediately made a beeline for the duo.

"Hey, guys!" he hollered.

The two shinobi at the bar turned around. Face stretched into a grin, Kiba waved them over while Genma simply raised a hand in greeting.

"So, Genma. Sakura's back from the ANBU mission, huh?" Naruto asked when he reached the bar.

A slightly intoxicated Genma nodded. "An hour or two ago." Then he added, "They could have come here for a drink. But no…"

"Who?" Kiba asked with a grin. "Shino and the Uchiha? I bet they're great drinking mates. The Uchiha especially," he added sarcastically.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the shot at his brother. Itachi might not be overly sociable, but he was not completely lacking in social skills. It irked him to hear such words from idiots who did not know what they were talking about.

"Or maybe you're thinking about Sakura?" Kiba added, waggling his brows.

To Sasuke's surprise, Genma's brows furrowed. "Sakura, huh…" he muttered thoughtfully.

"What about Sakura?" Naruto prompted, obviously catching on to Genma's odd tone.

The senbon-user cricked his neck, and then frowned down at his half-finished drink. "Something strange happened back during the mission," he said in an uncertain tone.

Sasuke tensed slightly while Naruto and Kiba leaned closer to Genma, anticipation and curiosity adorning their faces. What had been so odd on a mission that could have given rise to Genma's perplexity?

"What do you mean, strange?" Kiba asked.

A moment of thoughtful silence passed before Genma let out an exasperated huff. "No. It's probably nothing."

This time, Naruto scowled. "Oi! You can't say something like that and then not tell us the whole story!" he complained. "Come on, Genma. What is it?"

Genma looked at them assessingly, one after another. Then, with a bob of the senbon hanging out of the corner of his lips, he said, "Can't tell you anything specific about the mission, but we split up into two groups. Me and Shino. And the captain with Sakura."

Sasuke noticed Naruto's scowl deepening, obviously disliking the thought of Sakura being alone with Itachi. He supposed Itachi must have a reason for splitting the squad up in such a manner, but such a thing was generally not a cause for concern. So what was it that had Genma looking so concerned?

"That's it?" Kiba prompted, looking a little disappointed.

Genma shook his head. "No. That's not it. When we finished our part of the mission, Shino and I came back to regroup."

"Sakura is okay, right?" Naruto asked, a look of concern gracing his features.

"Well…" Genma paused briefly before he continued, "We found them in bed together."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Itachi and Sakura…

In bed…

Seconds ticked by as Sasuke stared at Genma. Beside him, Naruto and Kiba were also staring open-mouthed at the senbon-user. Genma's word registered in his mind, but Sasuke was not sure how exactly he should react to it. Itachi and Sakura in bed together? The idea was so outrageous that it could not possibly be true.

Surely not.

Then a curl of anger wound up inside him at the idea of the two of them together. What the hell were they thinking?

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!"

Naruto's voice boomed through the bar, effectively catching everyone's attention. The patrons immediately stopped what they were doing to stare curiously at them. Irritated by the attention, Sasuke turned around to glare at them, forcing them to look away. This matter was none of the business.

Genma let out an exasperated sound. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Naruto. They were not doing anything. Just sitting there… I think."

Finally finding his voice, Sasuke asked tightly, "What do you mean, you think?"

With a shrug, Genma replied, "They were fully dressed and all. So I thought the place just ran out of rooms or something."

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly as relief washed over him. It was nothing, after all. Although the imagery of Itachi and Sakura in the same bed still struck him as wrong, it was still better than having them doing… other things in said bed.

"Why the hell did you scare us like that?" Naruto snapped, jabbing a finger in front of Genma's face. "You should have just said that in the first place."

"Naruto's right, Genma," Kiba said. Smirking, he turned to Sasuke. "Still, the thought of Sakura doing the dirty with your brother is-"

"Shut up," Sasuke growled threateningly, not wanting Kiba to vocalize such an appalling thing.

Unperturbed, Kiba chuckled. "Or maybe you want that little kunoichi for yourself, huh?"

"Oh! Sakura used to have a thing for Sasuke," Naruto pointed out.

"Dobe…" Sasuke gritted out.

Kiba elbowed Naruto. "And you had a thing for Sakura too, remember?"

Raising a brow, Genma remarked, "Now THAT's interesting." Grinning, he added, "I wonder what Sakura has to say about that little triangle of love now."

"You will not mention it to her," Sasuke growled.

It had been most discomforting when Sakura had professed her love for him when they were just twelve years old. Such a topic had never even made it pass his mind at that time, and therefore, her proclamation had been totally unexpected. For a long time, he had felt uncomfortable around her, not knowing how to react, and so, he pretended that she had not said anything.

Sakura must have forgotten it soon after, for she had never mentioned it again.

Then, time flew by and the next thing he knew, Sakura was dating Neji. Sasuke had never thought that the little fact would annoy him, but it had done so. Why Neji? The bastard did not deserve someone like Sakura.

"Then?" Kiba suddenly asked.

"Then, what?" Genma asked, raising a questioning brow at Kiba.

"So, after that bedroom incident, you all came back here, I take it?"

Genma shook his head. "No. Shino and I managed to catch a few hours sleep before we headed back. The village head found another room for us."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in comprehension as Naruto frowned.

"Another room… But you said-" Naruto broke off, and then his face reddened in anger. "There was another room and that bastard MADE Sakura sleep in the same room as him?!" he shouted shrilly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"That's what threw me as well," Genma sighed, adjusting his senbon.

Wondering what exactly was going on, Sasuke tried to read the older shinobi. Genma had a thoughtful look on his face, obviously concerned about something. Whatever it was, all of them were just guessing here. The only two people who could clarify the matter were Itachi and Sakura.

Asking Itachi might prove to be rather uncomfortable, but Sakura? Sakura might tell them, but they had to be careful not to rile her. Glancing at his irate blonde teammate, Sasuke decided that this was certainly not the best time for them to visit Sakura. With Naruto in this state, things could only end badly. He just had to distract Naruto until he calmed down… or forget the entire incident. Personally, Sasuke was not certain that he could forget. But he had to convince Naruto that it would be worse to confront Sakura without knowing the full facts. And to do so, he had to threaten Naruto with something quite serious.

Still, Sasuke could not help but wonder what was really going on between Itachi and Sakura. Was the whole thing innocent, or was there something more?

Sasuke was not sure he wanted to know the answer.

000

* * *

000

Sakura was glad that she had had a good night's rest after the mission yesterday. It was just like Kakashi to organize a training session at the crack of dawn this morning. Sometimes, she wondered if the Copy-Nin got off on annoying them deliberately. He could have easily waited until later, but for once, he had been wide awake even before the sun had arisen and had decided to drag the rest of his reluctant team out of bed.

Landing lightly on her feet, Sakura darted her eyes left and right. Kakashi was hidden somewhere in the foliage around her, probably disguised as a log or something. Where was he?

Then a flash of silver caught her attention.

Reacting immediately, she formed the seals for a wind jutsu. The air whipped around her, speeding up before it zipped towards her sensei. Much to Sakura's annoyance, he countered with a different, but an equally powerful wind technique, effectively neutralizing her attack. She tried to release another one, but the handful of shuriken speeding towards her effectively stopped that idea.

"Faster, Sakura," Kakashi instructed as he streaked off.

Her lips tightened in annoyance. Oh no, he was not going to run away from her! She immediately gave chase, soon ending up in the same clearing where Naruto and Sasuke were sparring. The two of them paused mid-motion when she neared them, the expressions on their faces causing her steps to slow.

Why was Sasuke giving her such an odd look? And why did Naruto looked as if he was about to explode? It had been the same this morning when they met up here at the training grounds. It was as if they wanted to say something to her but was holding back. It was beyond strange. Frowning, she gave each of her teammates assessing looks before she finally decided that whatever it was, they would eventually tell her if it was important.

Moments later, she caught up with Kakashi and they engaged in a hand-to-hand combat. Kakashi was fast, but she had trained with him often enough to put up a fair fight. Eventually, however she began to tire. And so did her sensei, it seemed.

"That's it for today," Kakashi announced, leaping backwards away from the swipe of her fist.

Sakura paused, wiping away the droplets of sweat off her forehead. "That's it?"

Her sensei nodded. "It's almost noon."

She blinked at the sun high up in the sky. He was right, which meant that they had been sparring for hours. It was funny how fast time flew by.

"I have to check the mission roster."

With that, Kakashi raised a hand, and then, with a small poof, disappeared from the training grounds. Used to his mode of exit, Sakura simply shrugged and went to join Naruto and Sasuke.

"Hi, guys," she greeted.

"It's about time we're done," Naruto groaned as he dropped bonelessly to the ground.

"Hm."

Flopping down on the grass beside Sasuke, she breathed deeply to calm her heartbeat. Even though it had taken up the entire morning, the training session had not been too strenuous, something that she was glad of. The mild pace was definitely appreciated, considering what was about to happen soon.

Soon, such relaxing days would be over. If they wanted to make it into ANBU, they would need to train to their limits. The thought of it was daunting, but at the same time, exhilarating. Grinning, she could not help but feel a rush of anticipation at the idea. She must be a glutton for punishment.

With that in mind, she rolled to the side and propped herself up on her elbow. Not bothering to get up, both Sasuke and Naruto simply slanted her questioning looks.

"Guys, let's go get the application forms for ANBU."

Naruto sat up immediately, his eyes brightening. "We're finally going to do it!"

Grinning, Sakura nodded. "With luck, in a few months, we'll be part of the elite."

"Hm."

Naruto kicked out at Sasuke, hitting the side of his leg. "Show some life, Teme!"

Sasuke scowled at the blonde. "Do not kick me," he warned, but did not move a single muscle.

Energized suddenly, Sakura jumped to her feet. "Let's go."

Her teammates were slower in following, but soon, the three of them were making their way down the Konoha streets, heading towards the ANBU headquarters. Naruto continued to chatter about what great stuff they could do as ANBU operatives, his earlier black mood seemingly forgotten. Sakura could not help but wonder what it was, and if she should bother pressing Naruto and Sasuke about it.

Her thoughts were cut short when they arrived at their destination.

Sakura almost groaned when she noted the identity of the person walking out of the ANBU headquarters. Beside her, both Naruto and Sasuke stilled. Not that she had anything against Itachi, but past experiences had taught her that it was best to keep her team and Itachi away from each other, especially Naruto. Still, considering her new solo mission, there was no way she could achieve that. So she had better get used to the confrontations.

Slightly worried, she snuck a sideway glance at her teammates. By now, Naruto was glaring murderously at Itachi, while Sasuke had this odd look on his face. Sakura wondered what was going on. Sure they had issues with her going with Itachi's ANBU missions, but this was definitely a new degree of hostility. What could have caused this?

"I'll kill him," Naruto growled.

Sasuke cast a sharp, warning look at him. "Shut up," he ground out.

Frown deepening, Sakura wondered what she was missing. "What's going on, guys?" she finally asked in an urgent whisper.

"Nothing," Sasuke muttered under his breath. "Let's go get the forms."

Her lips tightened in annoyance. Then, knowing that it was unwise to make a scene in front of the ANBU headquarters, Sakura decided to pursue the issue later. At the moment, they should just go in to get what they came for.

Grabbing Naruto's arm in one hand and Sasuke's with the other, she marched towards the entrance. Itachi was just leaving, therefore it was inevitable that their path would collide. As they drew closer, she could feel both Naruto and Sasuke tensing further under her firm holds. The fact that even Sasuke was reacting this way meant that something was definitely amiss.

Her grip tightened when Itachi's eyes landed on them. Recalling her mission, she stretched her lips into a smile and greeted, "Hi, Itachi!"

"Sakura," he returned evenly.

Naruto bristled beside her, but fortunately, he said nothing.

Then Itachi glanced at the ANBU headquarters, and then back at her, raising a questioning brow. It was obvious what he wanted. The moment the thought formed in her mind, Sakura wondered just when she had become so proficient at reading Itachi's expressions.

"We are just going in to collect the application forms," she explained.

If Itachi was surprised at her words, he did not show it. Instead, he shifted his attention to Sasuke. "You have not mentioned this to our father?"

Sasuke shook his head once. "Not until I make it into ANBU."

"Hm."

Sakura looked at them, one after another, as the three men continued to regard each other in silence. The tension was growing thicker, but she was at a loss of what to do. Should she come up with some small talk now, or should she quickly excuse themselves?

However, before she could arrive at a decision, Itachi turned to her and his smooth tones broke the silence.

"I need a word."

Pasting a smile on her face, Sakura turned to her teammates, not failing to notice the identical looks of disapproval on their faces. "I'll catch up in a second, okay? You guys go ahead first."

"But, Sakura…"

"Let's go, Dobe."

Once left alone, Sakura turned to face the older Uchiha. Did he really have something to say to her, or was this simply an excuse to break the earlier tension?

"So…" she trailed off expectantly.

"We need to be seen together more often."

"Oh."

Itachi inclined his head towards the door which Naruto and Sasuke had disappeared through just seconds ago. "They need to get used to it."

Sakura sighed. "I know. It's going to take some time, though."

"Aa."

"So how should we do this?" she asked. "It can't start off too obvious."

"True."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I'd just make sure I appear nearby around this time everyday, or something. This is the sort of time you check in to the headquarters when you're not on a mission, right? What do you think?"

"It is feasible."

Well, that was not so hard, was it? "So, it's settled then. When should we start?" she asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Okay." Glancing at the door, she said, "I'd better go now."

"Hm."

As Itachi inclined his head at her, she raised a hand in a small wave before turning away. Her solo mission was kicking off nicely, she thought. The only thing she had to do now was to make sure that Naruto and Sasuke did not overreact when they found out about her so-called relationship with Itachi.

000

* * *

000

This was the third time he saw them together this week alone.

Under normal circumstances, no one would bat an eyelid at the sight of two shinobi talking outside the ANBU headquarters. However, one could not say the same when the two shinobi were Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura.

Kakashi could not help but wonder if they were discussing Sakura's application to join the ANBU ranks. If he recalled correctly, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke had handed in their application just a few days ago. Personally, he did not wish for her or the other two to do so, but he knew his three students well enough to be certain that it was something they would not drop, especially now that Sakura had assured them that she would remain with them no matter what the outcome of the ANBU application was.

He was surprised to find just how relieved he had been to hear that declaration from her. It was only then did he realize just how concerned he was that Sakura might leave their team. Sakura certainly had all three of them firmly wrapped around her little finger, he thought, his lips twitching in amusement. He had even gone out of his way to make sure that she had some rest between all those missions. What he had done in the recent weeks seemed to have helped a little. Sakura no longer looked so tired. In fact, she was even more energetic than usual.

Ah, it meant that he had done his duty as her team leader. Now he could safely return to his Icha Icha books. At least, until those shadows appeared under Sakura's eyes again.

Still, he could not help but think that there was something odd happening between Sakura and the Uchiha. Naruto and Sasuke might over-react at times, but they might have a valid reason to do so when it came to the Uchiha. After all, as far as Kakashi knew, Uchiha Itachi had never been seen together with a kunoichi so often, outside a mission.

And yet, this all could be explained by the fact that this was Sakura they were talking about. Sakura's friendly nature tended to make others react favorably to her. Look at what she had done to the three of them in her team, Kakashi thought, bemused.

He continued to study them intently as they conversed, trying to see beyond the obvious. Uchiha Itachi held himself in his customary rigid posture as he listened to whatever it was that Sakura was saying. As for Sakura, Kakashi thought that she seemed a little uncomfortable, by the way she held her hands together behind her. Her usual gestures were missing.

How interesting.

"Spying, Hatake?"

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. It figured that he had to be caught in the act. Slowly, he turned around to face the smirking Godaime. Only the most powerful kunoichi in Konoha could have caught him like this.

"Hokage-sama," he greeted.

"What do you think you're doing?"

He glanced around innocently. "I thought I saw Naruto nearby."

"Naruto? What do you need him for?"

"Training."

Tsunade gave him a skeptical look, and then looked beyond him to where he had last seen Uchiha Itachi and Sakura. Kakashi thought that there was an odd gleam in her eyes, but he could not be sure.

"Hokage-sama?"

She turned back to him. "I need you to gather a group of volunteers to be on guard duty for the celebration next week. I've already picked the ANBU operatives, so just get me a handful of chuunin to fill in the blanks."

Next week?

Ah! It was Konoha's annual celebration that had taken place every year for the last six years. The annual event marked Tsunade's ascension to Hokage-dom, and she chose to do so with an obscene amount of sake. Consequently, it meant that most of the shinobi population would be intoxicated out of their minds, bar those who had more self control, or those who had been drafted into guard duty.

"Hatake!"

The sharp sound made him blink at the impatient woman before him. Then, realizing that she was still waiting for a response from him, Kakashi nodded.

"I'll get the chuunin. Three teams enough?" he asked.

"That'll do." Turning around, she took two steps and then paused. Glancing back over her shoulders, she rapped out, "And stop wasting time spying on Sakura. One would think that you have a thing for her."

Kakashi almost winced at the accusation. "Surely not, Hokage-sama," he protested. "Like I said, I thought I saw-"

She cut him off with an abrupt wave of her hands. Then, without another word, Tsunade strode away from him.

Rubbing his masked chin, Kakashi watched the Hokage's retreating back until she turned the corner and disappeared from his sight. Her words disturbed him. Surely no one would think that he had such inappropriate thoughts about his student. Granted, like any healthy male, he could appreciate her… attributes. Was that not normal?

Shaking the disturbing thought off his mind, Kakashi turned and walked away, deciding then and there that to be safe, perhaps he should make sure that no one caught him watching his female student again.

Besides, the last thing he wished was for Sakura to catch wind of something like this. She might not take it too well. He might be a shinobi, but he still valued his body parts.

000

* * *

000

Itachi strained to keep his annoyance in check as he brought the teacup to his lips. Seated on a cushion opposite the low table in his bedroom, his visitor continued to pester him about the yearly event that was to happen tonight. Perhaps he should not have allowed the other Uchiha entrance to his room, after all.

Sometimes, Itachi wondered how the Uchiha clan had managed to produce someone like Shisui. Whilst it was true that he had exceptional skills as a shinobi, Shisui was also unpleasantly loud and persistent, traits that were not common in their clan. Perhaps it was simply a façade Shisui used to hide his true nature.

"Come on, Itachi. How are you supposed to get the girl if you stay cooped up like this?" Shisui complained from across the table.

Not bothering to respond, Itachi merely cast Shisui an irritated glance. He had taken Shisui's advice, seeing Sakura whenever he could for the last two weeks. Granted, between her missions and his own, that translated into a rough total of seven hours.

"And before you say that she might not be there, I'll have you know that all of Konoha will be there." Shisui went on.

"Hm."

Frowning, Shisui went on, "Look, you asked for my advice, right?"

And Itachi was beginning to wonder if it was a mistake, for Shisui had offered advice at every opportunity. However, Itachi knew that this 'gathering' was simply an excuse for Shisui to find out who the girl was. And he had to play along, if he wished to remain close enough to the other Uchiha to find out what he was up to.

"And let me tell you now that you're not going to get anywhere with her if you don't turn up at this gathering."

Itachi doubted that such a thing was true. And yet, he asked, "Why?"

"Because she'd be picked up by someone else, that's why!" Shisui pointed out impatiently. "Then the clan will go straight back to the other country to get you a bride."

Much as he wished to tell Shisui that such a thing was wholly unlikely, Itachi remained silent. He knew that Sakura would not allow herself to be 'picked up' by someone else. This was her mission, after all, and he knew her well enough to be certain that she would endeavor to succeed in completing it. Therefore, she would refrain from engaging in any sort of behavior that would jeopardize the mission.

"Damn it, Itachi. Are you coming or not?" Shisui snapped, obviously growing increasingly irritated.

Shisui was most persistent, but Itachi knew that if he continued to object, it would look odd. Hiding his reluctance, Itachi finally straightened and stood up. He would acquiesce this once.

"Very well."

Shisui immediately brightened. "I knew you could do it, man! Now go get changed and meet me outside the compound," he exclaimed enthusiastically. "We'll leave together in half an hour."

With that, the older Uchiha stood up and left the room.

Itachi bit back a resigned sigh as Shisui's footsteps faded. He very much preferred to remain at home. It had only been a little more than three weeks and this mission he had commissioned was already encroaching on his life. Still, he was convinced that the end would be worth the effort.

000

* * *

000

Sakura stood at the makeshift bar, tapping her fingers against the wooden surface as she waited for the bartender deliver her drink. When it finally arrived, she thanked the bartender and took a sip of the sweet, alcoholic beverage.

Every year, for the last six years, the shinobi of Konoha and a handful of guests gathered here to celebrate Tsunade's ascension to her position. Sakura did not know who came up with the idea, but Tsunade had not objected. Especially since there were ample amount of sake served as part of the refreshments. One expected no less from the Godaime.

Sakura's lips twitched as she caught sight of her shishou. She was at a far corner, seated on some embroidered cushions. Jiraiya, the perverted Sannin, was laughing at something Tsunade had said. Sakura could see some other older jounin approaching them, no doubt to catch a few private words with the Hokage.

She could see Sasuke and Kankurou nearby. They seemed to be deep in some serious discussion. Probably something about work. How typical.

Not far away from them at another table, Naruto and Kiba were trying to drink the other under the table. And it looked as if both of them were already well on their way to unconsciousness, egged on by Chouji, Lee, Ino, Tenten and a handful of drunken chuunin. Neji were also there, watching the proceedings with a look of bemusement. And Hinata? Hinata was wringing her hands worriedly as she hovered behind Naruto. Sakura wondered just when Naruto would realize that Hinata was heads over heels in love with him, and had been since she was twelve.

She could not help but remember her first crush then. It had not gone anywhere, thankfully, or else it would have been quite awkward to work on the same team with Sasuke now. She only hoped that Sasuke had forgotten that embarrassing episode when she had declared her love for him when she was twelve.

Shifting her eyes away from the boisterous crowd, Sakura scanned the rest of the hall. Ino had arranged the celebration this year with the help of some other chuunins and Sakura had to say that her friend had done a good job of it. Unlike last year's more traditional theme, this year, the great hall was decorated in exotic carpets and clay decorations. The only illumination in the space came from the hundreds of candles set in flattish metal dishes floating high up in the air, courtesy of some jutsu.

The whole thing reminded her of Suna, making her suspect that Ino had been taking to Temari for ideas. The Kazekage's sister was currently standing beside Shikamaru, looking suspiciously as if she was flirting with the Nara, while Gaara stood a few steps away, staring at them with that scarily blank look on his face.

A gust of cold air touched her suddenly, drawing her attention to the door. Another crowd of shinobi had just arrived.

Then she saw him.

He stood apart from the rest, regal and aloof. But knowing him for as long as she did, she could see what the others could not. Itachi was clearly discomfited, and she could not help but feel a little sorry for him. The guy was a loner, not one to join in such parties, so what was he doing here? Her eyes landed on the figure beside him. Shisui. And understanding dawned rapidly. Shisui must have convinced him to turn up.

Their eyes met, and Sakura caught a flash of something in his. Perhaps it was because they had worked together for the last one year, but something told her that he wanted her to approach him.

Knowing that he would not tolerate any hesitation, Sakura stiffened her spine and made her way to the Uchiha. They had been meeting up quite regularly over the past two week, and to her relief, the odd awkwardness between them seemed to be easing a little. It was strange, because she never had so much problem getting close to other people. She did not know why it was so difficult to relax around him.

When she finally reached them, she greeted Shisui with a nod of her head. "Shisui-san."

A smile stretched across Shisui's face. "Eh, no need for the formality, Sakura. Glad to see you here."

And then she looked into the other Uchiha's eyes. "Itachi," she greeted.

He slanted his onyx gaze down at her. "Sakura."

Shisui stilled beside them, and a look of dawning comprehension appeared on his features. A little confused, Sakura blinked at him. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

The older Uchiha shook his head quickly, and then darted a pointed look at Itachi, who simply stared back expressionlessly. Then, Shisui raised a hand in a small wave. "I'll leave him in your hands then, Sakura," he said cheerfully, quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"What was that about?" she muttered curiously.

"Shisui is attempting to discover the identity of the kunoichi I'm pursuing."

"Oh." She blinked, and then turned to Itachi. Lowering her voice so that no one could hear them, she murmured, "You think he guessed it's me?"

"Aa."

She did not know Shisui very well, but as far as she knew, he was not the most subtle Uchiha around. If she had to guess, she would say that he would be blabbering about this new discovery of his to everyone tonight. The fact that Itachi was allowing it to happen could only mean one thing.

Still keeping her voice low, she asked, "So, we're coming out in the open soon?"

His nod was almost imperceptible.

"So, we'll be… together in this party?" she asked hesitantly.

"Aa."

Her nerves grew taut. Here she was, surrounded by most of Konoha, and she had to convince them that there was something going on between her and Itachi without looking as if she was pretending. Her mouth suddenly went dry at the thought, and she quickly tossed down her drink to ease the dryness. She should be ready to do this by now, she told herself. There was no reason to be nervous.

In a louder voice, she said, "Shall we find somewhere to sit? Maybe we should find Genma and Shino."

"Hm."

She could sense those around them listening in curiously. Probably because it was a rare occasion to see Uchiha Itachi at such functions, let alone talking to a member of the opposite sex. Running her eyes over him, she noted his attire of black top with high collar, coupled with an equally stark pair of pants. Her lips twitched at the sight. Itachi looked as if he was preparing to go on a night reconnaissance. It was obvious that he had made no effort in dressing up for the occasion.

Well, now that she was here, she had better make some sort of move. There was only one thing which came to mind, and she knew she would not have dared even think of it had it not been the four alcoholic beverages that she had consumed earlier.

However, before she could work up the nerve to physically link her arm through his, she looked down to find that he had extended a hand, palm up, at her. For a moment, she could only stare at the slender appendage, not knowing what to think.

"Take it."

Her eyes snapped up at his almost inaudible words. It was only then that she noticed his stiff posture. Itachi was obviously uncomfortable with this entire thing, and the way he was still holding his hand out suggested to her that he was uncertain about what he was doing. The revelation was baffling, seeing that she had never once seen the Uchiha genius falter.

But seeing that gave her the courage to respond.

Inhaling deeply, she reached out and placed her hand in his upturned palm. She could feel his entire body stiffen at her touch, but she did not give him any time to react. Instead, she pulled at his arm with the intention of walking away from the door. The crowd around them began to mutter, some even gasping in shock. His hand felt odd in hers. The calloused skin scraping against her palm seemed to be sending tingles up her arm but she ignored the feeling. This seemed a whole lot more intimate than linking her arm around his elbow.

"Let's go," she said loudly, forcing a smile to her face.

His eyes flickered, and then he gave her a stilted nod. To her surprise, the fingers she had grasped seconds ago began to curl around her hand, enveloping her with his warmth. She swallowed her gasp and tried to push away the odd feeling of being somewhat… trapped.

Then Itachi was leading her away from the door, threading through the astonished crowd. It was not the first time a guy held her hand to pull her through a crowded room. Naruto, Genma, Kiba, and goodness knew who else had done it to her but somehow, it was different when said guy was Itachi. What seemed like hundreds of eyes swept downwards to stare at their hands. Much to her chagrin, Sakura felt her cheeks redden as he continued to tow her towards the corner of the room. It occurred to her to wonder if he was actually coming on too strong, act or not. But then again, this was Itachi. And when Itachi wanted something, he usually went for it without hesitation. Yes, that could be a feasible explanation.

When they finally arrived at the corner of the room, her eyes landed on two familiar figures seated at a table. Genma was blinking at their linked hands with his brow raised, the senbon almost falling out of the corner of his mouth, while Shino simply stared through his dark glasses. Itachi's fingers loosened then, giving her back her hand.

"Uh, hi," she greeted, waving at the other two member's of Itachi's ANBU squad.

"Hello," Shino murmured.

As Itachi took a seat on the couch opposite them, Genma shook his head, as if to clear it, before staring at her. For some reason, he seemed to be trying to figure something out. Come to think of it, Genma had been acting a little off lately, though his reaction tonight could be pinned down to the fact that he had just seen Itachi holding her hand. Such a sight would throw anyone, she guessed.

"You okay, Genma?" she asked innocently.

He nodded once, and then raised his drink at her. "Of course. Back in Konoha with a drink in my hand, no mission for a whole week... What else could I ask for?"

She rolled her eyes in response. Then, Sakura was about to sit beside Genma as per usual when she felt herself pinned by a piercing gaze. Her eyes widened in comprehension when she realized what he wanted her to do. Slowly, she walked around the table and then sat down on the couch beside Itachi, not meeting his gaze lest she saw disapproval in those onyx orbs.

Like the day they had 'practiced' sitting together, their arms were once again pressed together. The thought of the incident brought a small smile to her lips. How awkward it had been for both of them, sitting there at the edge of the bed, practically unmoving until the two other squad members returned. She could still remember how Genma's senbon had popped out of his mouth when he stepped into the room to see them sitting there. It had been difficult, but she had managed to keep a straight face while Itachi stood up casually to inspect the unconscious rogue-nin over Shino's shoulder.

Genma had not said anything about the incident, but now, Sakura wondered if it had been playing in the senbon-user's mind. Could it be why he was giving her and Itachi such odd looks? Did he suspect something already? Was she really ready for this whole thing to go public in the first place?

"Would you like a drink?"

Jolted out of her thoughts by Itachi's question, her eyes snapped up to meet his. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw both Genma and Shino stilling visibly. She did not recall Itachi ever offering to go get drinks, so this must be part of the act.

"Sakura?" Itachi prompted.

She quickly nodded. "The lime cocktail would do."

"Hm."

An overly bright smile on his face, Genma asked teasingly, "So, Taishou. No drinks for us?"

Itachi raised a brow. "What do you wish to have?" he asked calmly.

Genma blinked, obviously not expecting the answer. As he hesitated, Sakura prodded lightly, "Hey, you want a drink or not?"

Shino stood up before he could answer. "I know what he drinks. I'll go to the bar with you, Taishou."

"Hm."

Soon, she was sitting on the couch opposite Genma. The look on his face told her that he had something on his mind. Pasting a pleasant look on her face, Sakura braced herself.

Leaning forward, he asked, "Say, I heard that you're applying for ANBU."

Surprised by the unexpected question, she snapped towards him. "That's supposed to be confidential!" she cried out indignantly.

A chuckle escaped him. "I overheard someone mention it, that's all."

She groaned. "And I guess everyone knows by now."

"It's about time, I thought. At least then we'd have a permanent medic."

"Wha-" she faltered as comprehension dawned. "Oh."

She was not sure how she should respond to such a statement. Genma seemed to have the idea that if she made it into ANBU, she would automatically join their team. How was she supposed to tell him that she had no intention of doing so? That if she made it into ANBU, she would remain together with Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi?

"Of course that could only happen if there are no… issues between the team members," Genma continued enigmatically.

"Eh?" She stared at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

He waved a dismissive hand around before leaning back against the couch. Without looking at her, he said casually, "Things like relationships and such."

Oh, so THAT was what he was getting at. The little sneak, she thought, holding back a smirk. He was trying not so subtly to find out what was going on between her and Itachi. Something told her that he would be rather disturbed to hear that they were an item or sorts. She could not wait to see his face when it happened.

A twinge of mischief shot through her when an errant idea presented itself. Keeping a straight face, she remarked, "But it would be rather convenient, don't you think?"

"Huh?"

She knew that what she was going to say next was utter nonsense, but she ploughed on, "Seeing that shinobi's lives revolve around missions, it would make things more convenient if a couple was in the same team, don't you think? That way, they could be together more often."

Genma tensed, and then slowly leaned towards her. Even in the dim light, she could see the incredulity reflected in his eyes. After a long pause, he finally asked, almost gingerly, "So, you wouldn't mind hooking up with someone like… say… Shino?"

"I'm not sure Shino's my type," she responded dryly, knowing fully well that it was not Shino on Genma's mind. "But theoretically speaking, I wouldn't mind hooking up with one of my teammates. I'd just have to make sure that it doesn't affect my performance."

Genma stared at her intently, as if trying to assess if she was serious or not. Sakura stared right back, raising a brow slightly in question. She wanted to laugh at the other shinobi, but she knew that if she did so, he would think that she was joking. In fact, Genma probably WISHED that she was joking, from the look on his face. The whole idea of her and Itachi together must be so preposterous in his mind that he was finding it difficult to swallow, or else he would be teasing her about it by now.

Them, right at that moment, Itachi and Shino returned, bearing their drinks. Her eyes met Itachi's as he handed her the cold glass of cocktail, and their fingers brushing together briefly. The contrast between his warm skin and the cold glass drew an involuntary shiver from her, and Itachi raised a brow in question.

"Thanks, Itachi."

Genma mumbled something at that point, but she could only catch a few words. Something about first names. He must be still wondering about her and Itachi. Then Shino said something back and they engaged in a hushed conversation. A smile playing on her lips, she leaned over to Itachi as he sat down beside her.

"Genma suspects," she whispered softly in his ear.

The corner of his lips quirked slightly. "Aa."

Watching the other two out of the corner of her eyes to make sure that they were still busy in discussion, she continued to whisper, "He was trying to grill me about… us."

He turned towards her, wearing a thoughtful look. Then, he shifted closer, speaking quietly, "What did you tell him?"

The warmth of his breath against the sensitive shell of her ear caused goosebumps to break over her skin. Forcing herself to ignore it, she turned to face him, almost causing their noses to collide. They were so close that there was barely any space between their faces, she realized, feeling her face warm self-consciously. If Genma and Shino had any doubt at all, their current proximity should be convincing enough.

"I didn't confirm anything," she finally admitted.

Itachi raised a brow, but said nothing.

"Should I?" she asked.

His eyes flicked around the room quickly before returning to her. The move was barely noticeable, but she had worked with him long enough to know that in that short span of time, he had managed to thoroughly scan their surroundings.

"Should I confirm it?" she asked again.

He shook his head once. "I believe it is not necessary."

Deciding that he must have arrived at the conclusion after seeing everyone's reaction, Sakura snuck a look over his shoulders. True enough, more than one pair of eyes was riveted towards them. All they had to do now was to wait for the gossip to spread like wildfire. It was possible that by tomorrow, the whole of Konoha would know.

As she glanced further, Sakura caught Ino's eyes from across the room, and immediately recognized the look on her friend's face. She winced inwardly then. Her blonde friend looked as if she was about to burst with curiosity.

Oh, Ino definitely would corner her the first chance she got.

000

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000

Not unexpectedly, Genma did not remain seated at the table for long. Soon, he was making a beeline for a red-haired jounin from Suna. As for Shino, the bug specialist had been pulled away by his old genin teammates a while ago.

So Itachi found himself seating on the couch with Sakura, both of them sipping their drinks silently as they watched the progress of the party. He had thought that he would feel more discomfited, but strangely, he found that such was not the case. Perhaps it was because Sakura made no effort to engage him in small talk now that they were alone.

The silence was comfortable.

However, the peacefulness did not last long, for a grinning Shisui soon made an appearance. The slightly glazed look in his eyes was a testament to the fact that he had perhaps over-imbibed.

"Hey, you two!" he greeted as he dropped down onto the couch opposite them. "Having fun?"

"Hm."

Sakura smiled. "Yes. We're probably not as drunk as you are, though," she remarked teasingly.

Laughing, Shisui waved a hand around dismissively. "I can handle my drink."

And with that, Shisui and Sakura quickly engaged in a conversation about drinking. Sakura went on about the dangers of overdoing it, even though liver was capable of regenerating. The conversation soon turned to the regenerative traits of her blonde teammate, and then the pranks Naruto had pulled while under the influence of alcohol.

"I don't understand why the Hokage let him get away with it."

Sakura shrugged. "Well, they go way back, I suppose."

Snorting, Shisui retorted, "I guess without him, she wouldn't be here in the first place."

"We would have Jiraiya as the Godaime instead," she pointed out with a grin.

"No doubt Jiraiya would make Konoha the X-Rated hub of the shinobi world." His grin widened. "Not a bad idea, now that I think about it."

Sakura chuckled. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

By now, Itachi was quickly losing interest in the conversation. After all, it was merely small talk, nothing that would give him more information about whatever secret Shisui was hiding from him.

Itachi glanced around the hall. The shinobi of Konoha was getting progressively intoxicated, and Itachi could not help but think that it was truly unwise. If enemy forces decided to invade Konoha now, the Leaf Nins would be at a severe disadvantage. The small number of ANBU guards and the chuunin on duty was hardly sufficient to protect the entire village.

He had been there for two hours and that was more than enough to establish his and Sakura's 'relationship'. It was time for him to leave. With that thought, Itachi rose to his feet, drawing the kunoichi's attention to him.

Pausing in her conversation with Shisui, she gave him a questioning look. "Leaving already?"

"Aa." Recalling the proper protocol for such things, he asked, "Would you like me to escort you home?"

Her brows furrowed. "Now?" At his nod, she shook her head. "I think I'll stay a while longer. Besides, it's still quite early."

Shisui snickered opposite her. "This is probably all he can take. Took me long enough to convince him to turn up in the first place." Wagging his brows, he continued, "But now I can guess why he agreed in the end."

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Uh, why?"

He smirked. "Why indeed."

Then Shisui shot him a knowing look, one which Itachi returned with a bland stare. He did not need to confirm or deny anything. Shisui could come up with his own conclusion. And from what Itachi could tell, the other Uchiha no doubt decided that he was fully infatuated with Sakura.

Deciding that he had lingered long enough, Itachi inclined his head at both Shisui and Sakura, keeping his eyes upon the kunoichi a little longer than necessary. To his surprise, he could see her cheeks redden slightly, even in the dim lighting. How interesting, he thought.

"Goodnight, Itachi," she murmured.

Itachi inclined his head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Then he spun around and walked away.

The streets of Konoha were silent, and there was a stillness to the night, a large contrast to the atmosphere at the party. No doubt it was because most of the occupants of the village were at the event.

Therefore, it was not hard for him to detect the presence of another shinobi nearby, especially such a familiar one.

Itachi paused, and then turned to look over his shoulders.

Sasuke was approaching him, wearing a cautious expression. He looked rather ill at ease, but there was obviously something on his little brother's mind. Itachi waited wordlessly as Sasuke continued to close the distance between them.

"Nii-san," Sasuke murmured when they were a mere arm's length apart.

Itachi turned around fully, raising a questioning brow.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment before he asked bluntly, "Is something going on between you and Sakura?"

Ah, so his brother had witnessed the display at the gathering. Between him and Shisui, the clan would surely hear about it soon. His plan was moving along smoothly, as far as Itachi was concerned. However, he was also aware that he had to handle his brother carefully when it came to Sakura, for it was obvious that Sasuke cared for his pink-haired teammate.

Without a word, Itachi resumed walking, knowing that his brother would follow.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke prompted, keeping step beside him.

"Why do you ask?" Itachi asked as he slanted his brother an impassive look.

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully. "Someone saw you holding hands."

It would be best to hold back a little, otherwise it might appear suspicious. "Is that a problem?"

Sasuke shot him an incredulous look.

"Sasuke?" Itachi prompted smoothly.

It was a while before Sasuke regained his composure. And when he did, he took a deep breath before he spoke. "Nii-san. Is Sakura the reason why the clan is no longer pursuing an arranged marriage for you?"

"Yes."

His little brother's eyes widened, and then Itachi saw Sasuke pale visibly. He frowned inwardly. It had not occurred to him that this development would affect Sasuke to such an extent. But then again, the kunoichi's teammates had always been overly protective of her. In light of that, Itachi could not help but wonder how this would affect his own relationship with his brother.

"Why?" Sasuke finally asked in a tight voice.

Itachi halted his steps, and then turned to face his brother. "Do you think she is unsuitable?"

This time, there was a flash of anger in Sasuke's eyes. "It is not that. There are many other women out there, and many of them are suitable. So why Sakura?" he asked, his tone betraying his effort to keep control.

Sasuke was overreacting. Itachi wondered how his brother would take it if Sakura had been assigned such missions to a complete stranger, as was the norm for older kunoichi. She was fully capable of taking care of herself, as far as Itachi could tell. And yet, both Sasuke and Naruto still behaved as if she could not do so.

There could be another reason for this. Perhaps he had been right in suspecting that Sasuke had deeper feelings for his pink-haired teammate.

"Do you object to this?" Itachi asked quietly.

Sasuke stared at him mutely.

This could be a problem, Itachi thought with displeasure. Sasuke was obviously not willing to clarify the state of his own feelings towards Sakura. Still, since it was a mission, there would be no permanent harm done. He would simply have to explain the truth to Sasuke once the contracted six months were over.

Shifting his eyes away from his brother, Itachi continued to walk.

"Nii-san…"

"What is it, Sasuke?"

A moment of silence followed, and when Sasuke finally spoke, Itachi was surprised to detect a hint of warning in his words.

"Don't hurt her."

Itachi decided that it was best not to respond. Instead, he continued to make his way back to the Uchiha compound.

It did not escape his notice that Sasuke had failed to follow him this time.

000

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000

Her alarm rang at its usual time, waking Sakura up from a deep slumber. Yawning, she rolled out of bed and stood up. The slight headachy feeling she was experiencing told her that perhaps she had a bit too much to drink last night at the party.

Groaning inwardly, she made her way out of her bedroom, all the while pressing a glowing hand to her forehead. Medical chakra or not, nothing would cure a hangover, but at least she could numb the effects. She wondered just how the rest of her friends were faring today. When she had made her way out of the venue last night, Naruto was still there, laughing boisterously with the rest.

It was then that she noticed a letter on the doormat, in front of the letter slot. Curious, she stepped towards it, and then picked it up.

Her eyes widened when she saw the seal at the back. It was from the ANBU administration team. Heart thudding in anticipation, she quickly tore the envelop open and pulled out the letter.

A grin spread across her face when she read the words on the paper.

"Cha! ANBU, here I come!"

Well, perhaps not yet. But at least her application had been accepted and a date had been given for the entrance examinations.

Wide awake now, she glanced at the clock. In an hour, she would meet Naruto and Sasuke in their usual training grounds. They must be just as excited to receive the letter. It meant that they had to train hard for the next six weeks, but it would be worth it.

Eager to start the day, especially after such good news, Sakura quickly showered. The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, clad in nothing but a towel, a series of knocks at her door made her pause. Recognizing her visitor's chakra, Sakura went to open the door to find Ino standing there, tapping her toes impatiently.

"Finally," Ino exclaimed, pushing her way into the room.

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Good morning to you too, Ino."

"What took you so long?"

"I was in the shower."

Sakura shut the door and then walked back in, heading to her bedroom. She wondered what Ino wanted. Whatever it was, it probably had to wait, because she would soon be late for her Team Kakashi training session if she did not get changed soon.

With that thought, she rummaged through her closet as Ino leaned against the wall.

"So what was that all about?" Ino asked, planting her hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about, Ino?" Sakura grumbled as she pulled on her jounin uniform.

"Last night. I saw you and that Uchiha…" Ino paused dramatically. "Holding hands. And not only that, you two seemed really close. You know, all these years, Uchiha Itachi barely speaks to any women." Ino eyed her speculatively. "Except you. You're the only kunoichi he speaks to on any regular basis."

Oh, she had almost forgotten about that, Sakura thought as she hid a wince. Of course Ino would ask. But Sakura had no idea how she should proceed with this. Confirming that there was something going on seemed a little… abrupt. Should she deny it, then? What would she do if this was really happening, that Itachi was really courting her?

"Sakura?" Ino prompted.

Strapping her pouch to her waist, she stalked out of her room, knowing that her friend would follow. Ino was too curious about this to let it go. As Sakura exited her apartment, she glanced towards her friend.

"We work together, Ino," she pointed out briskly, walking towards Team Kakashi's regular training ground. "I'm sort of the regular medic for his ANBU squad."

Ino fell silent again.

Ah, Ino was suspicious. Sakura did not know whether to be pleased or not that her mission was taking off so fast.

Knowing that she had to behave as natural as possible, Sakura composed her features before she turned to face her longtime friend. She had to be careful of how she acted, especially considering she had not said a single word about being interested in Itachi before this.

"Something is going on, right?" Ino prodded.

Sakura plastered an impatient look on her face. "Please don't tell me you think that there was something going on with me and my ANBU captain."

Ino raised a brow. "What am I supposed to think when one of the most elusive bachelor in Konoha held your hand like he has every right to do so?"

"It was crowded, Ino. We're just trying to make our way to the other end of the room," she explained calmly. "Naruto held my hand like that before, and I don't remember you saying anything about it."

Ino gave her a flat look. "I don't believe you."

"Ino…"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Ino glared at her. "The truth, Forehead!"

Knowing that she had to say more, Sakura lowered her head and frowned thoughtfully. This was her first of such a mission, and as uncomfortable as it was to lie to her friend, she knew that she had to do it. She had to make this look good. If she could pull this off on someone who knew her so well, it meant that she would be able to do it to a stranger with no problem.

"Ino."

A pair of curious blue eyes shot towards her. "What?"

"You promise you won't tell anyone if I tell you?" she asked, knowing fully well that Ino would not be able to stop herself from doing such a thing.

"Of course!" the blonde exclaimed indignantly. Eyes shining in anticipation, Ino leaned closer to her. "So, what is it?" she whispered excitedly.

Sakura exhaled loudly. "You're right."

Ino's eyes bulged. "I'm right?"

Sakura nodded. "About Itachi. Something... is happening."

There was a flash of excitement in Ino's eyes, and then, "You sneaky little thing! How long has this been going on?"

"Erm…"

"How far have you two gone?" Ino's shining eyes were almost falling out in anticipation. "Come on, spill!"

Sakura lowered her eyes as she bit her lips, trying to stifle a smile. Ino's curiosity was really too much sometimes. However, before she could say another word, she felt her arm being grabbed urgently.

Her eyes shot towards Ino, noting that her friend looked a little worried all of a sudden.

"Uh, Sakura…"

The odd note in Ino's voice made her pause. "What?" she asked.

"You might want to turn that way and walk a little faster," Ino suggested in a grave voice.

Wondering what Ino was talking about, Sakura turned in the direction she was gesturing to. Her eyes immediately widened at the alarming sight that greeted her.

"Naruto?" she whispered.

Naruto looked as if he was on a rampage. Sakura's eyes followed his path of travel, ending up at a familiar form. Naruto's target was none other than Uchiha Itachi.

"Oh no…" she breathed out, quickly changing directions.

"You can say that again," Ino muttered, following behind her. "Someone probably told him about the thing between you and Itachi last night."

"YOU BASTARD!"

Naruto's yell reverberated through the streets, making Sakura wince. Ino's guess was probably accurate, for nothing else could set Naruto off to this degree. Heart thumping behind her ribcage, Sakura directed her chakra to her feet and sped up, intent on getting to her friend before he could get to the Uchiha.

This was not good. Not good at all.

000

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000

A/N: Naruto's reaction is hardly unexpected, huh? (Grins) We shall see how Itachi and Sakura handle it in the next chapter. In the meantime, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the previous chapter. Here's the next one, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 6**

"YOU BASTARD!!!"

The snarling orange-clad shinobi suddenly appeared at the corner of his vision, but Itachi managed to swiftly sidestep before the blonde's fist could come into contact with his person. Spinning back around, he withdrew a kunai just in time to deflect the younger shinobi's shuriken.

As metal clanged against metal, Itachi bit out, "What are you doing?"

Blue eyes flashing, Naruto charged again, yelling, "That's the question I should be asking you, damn it! Why the hell did you do it?!"

Itachi's lips thinned as he performed a substitution jutsu, disappearing out of harm's way just a fraction of a second before the blonde's kick connected. So, Naruto was blaming him for something, was he? The only thing he had done which could send Naruto into such a fit was the so-called courtship between him and Sakura. Still, he preferred to receive a verbal confirmation from the enraged shinobi.

Reappearing behind the blonde, Itachi deftly caught Naruto in an uncompromising chokehold. "Perhaps you should clarify your… accusation," he intoned calmly.

Struggling against him, Naruto snarled, "You were holding her hand! What are you planning to do with Sakura, huh? Taking her with you on your damned mission was not enough, was it? Now you're after her like a dog-"

"NARUTO!" a familiar voice shrieked, cutting the blonde off mid-sentence.

Not releasing his grip, Itachi turned to find Sakura standing a few steps away, glaring angrily at both of them. Behind her stood Yamanaka Ino, and further back, a growing crowd of curious spectators. Grimacing inwardly, Itachi wondered if this plan of his was worth all the attention he was drawing. He could not help but think that at the rate this was going, there would be no need for a formal announcement of his intention to court the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Let me go, damn it!" Naruto shouted, attempting to peel his arm away.

"Not until you're calm," Itachi said evenly.

Growling, Naruto stopped struggling. Instead, his hands quickly came together. There was a surge of chakra, and then a handful of Naruto bunshins appeared. Itachi's eyes narrowed when he saw them pairing up, rapidly forming what appeared to be Rasengan. In mere moments, the three pairs of clones charged at him, bearing three glowing orbs of the lethal Rasengan.

This was going too far, Itachi decided as he released the real Naruto.

"Stop it, Naruto! I mean it!" Sakura screamed. "There are people around and you're going to hurt someone."

"Get the hell out of the way!" Naruto yelled at the crowd, who was staring at the spectacle with morbid fascination.

As the attacks approached him, Itachi formed a quick seal. In moments, small fireballs were released from his palms. They connected with Naruto's clones, instantly sending them away in clouds of white smoke. With the clones gone, so did the lethal wind attacks. Before Naruto could retaliate, Itachi streaked forward and in a blink of an eye, Naruto was pressed against the nearest wall.

"You bastard! Let go!"

Itachi's lips thinned in annoyance. Naruto was overreacting. However, before he could voice his displeasure, Sakura stepped closer to them, her hands landing on her hips, a typical sign of her annoyance. A hush fell over the crowd as they strained to listen.

Emerald eyes pinned on the still-struggling jinchuuriki, she asked in a stony voice, "What are you doing, Naruto?"

Sputtering, eyes wide, the blonde snapped, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" she asked curtly.

"That this bastard is after you?"

Sakura's eyes met his, and Itachi gave her an almost imperceptible nod. There was no other way of resolving this at the moment. Besides, they would eventually reach this point. Still, he could tell from the tumult in her emerald orbs that Sakura was dreading the oncoming conversation.

"Itachi, can you let him go first?" she asked, nudging at Naruto.

"As you wish," Itachi murmured, releasing his grip and stepping back.

"What's going on, Sakura?" Naruto asked tightly, rubbing his neck.

She replied steadily, "Naruto. We're seeing each other."

Her words rang out loud and clear, causing the crowd to inhale sharply. It did not take long for them to begin murmuring amongst themselves. Itachi could not help but wonder why such a thing would generate such interest in the first place.

Naruto's eyes bulged in disbelief. "WHAT?! When-? How…"

When the blonde finally sputtered into silence, Itachi was unsurprised to see the accusation in his eyes. He had known that the situation would eventually come to this, and yet, the sheer intensity of Naruto's reaction today and Sasuke's reaction last night was unexpected. Sakura's teammates were unhealthily possessive of her.

Idly Itachi wondered when he should expect a confrontation with Hatake Kakashi. The Copy-Nin would be a more difficult challenge than Naruto, undoubtedly.

"W-Why?" Naruto asked shakily, his eyes gleaming with confusion. "Why him?"

"It just… happened, Naruto," she said quietly.

"But-"

"Can we not talk about this here?" Sakura interjected quickly, pointedly gesturing at the curious crowd around them.

Naruto's eyes glittered with emotion. Then, he turned away abruptly and took off.

000

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000

That had gone as well as it could, Sakura thought as she tried not to let her shoulders sag in misery. She hated hurting her teammates, and it was clear that Naruto was hurt by the entire situation. His expression and the way he had darted off told her just as much. She wondered if things would be as bad with Sasuke.

Come to think of it, perhaps she should ask Itachi to deal with her other teammate. After all, Sasuke was his brother. However, this was not the time for such a conversation. She would just have to corner Itachi later to discuss it. Right now, she had Naruto to deal with. She could not just let him storm off like that.

Mindful that they were being watched, she went to Itachi. Biting back her hesitation, she took his hands in hers and then leaned closer, whispering into his ears, "I've got to go after him. He's really upset about this."

"Hm."

"This wasn't how I thought it would come out," she remarked wryly as she pulled back.

Itachi's expression was unreadable, but his eyes flicked towards the direction Naruto had disappeared to. "He will accept it eventually."

Sakura released a heavy sigh. "I hope so."

A soft touch on her arm drew her attention away from Itachi. Turning around, she saw Ino giving her a rare look of concern. For once, the blonde seemed to sense that it was inappropriate to blast her mouth off.

"You okay, Forehead?" her blonde friend asked.

Sakura sighed. "I will be when this whole mess gets sorted out." Meaning the end of this mission, but Ino did not need to know that. "I need to talk to Naruto. Just to calm him down a little."

"Good luck. I'm sure he will get over it sooner or later."

She forced out a smile for a friend, and then turned to Itachi. He was wearing that unreadable look as usual, but she could tell that he was not entirely comfortable being in the centre of attention like this. Well, considering that they still had a crowd of spectators, she might as well cement the whole relationship idea.

"I'll see you later today, then?" she asked in a louder voice. "After training?"

Itachi nodded. "I'll find you."

"Okay."

With a small wave, Sakura left them and then proceeded to sprint towards the training grounds. As upset as Naruto was, she knew that he would not deliberately miss their training session.

Soon, she caught a flash of orange in the distance.

"Naruto!" she called out. "NARUTO!"

He finally stopped just before they reached the training grounds, but the tension in his form was unmistakable. Naruto was truly angry about this, Sakura realized, much to her chagrin. She should have expected this, of course. But it was too late to back out now. She just had to handle it.

Somehow.

Steeling her spine, she took a deep breath to fortify herself. Several more steps brought her to his side. He tensed visibly when she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto. There's really nothing for you to worry about," she said gently.

A pair of bewildered blue eyes slid towards her. "I don't understand how you can say that. He's taking you away from us, Sakura-chan."

She shook her head as she faced him directly. "I told you that I'll stay with Team Kakashi, no matter what, right?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "This has nothing to do with our jobs anymore. This is about you and him."

This had everything to do with her job and nothing else, Sakura groaned inwardly. It was nothing personal. But she could not tell Naruto that. She could not tell anyone until this whole mission was over and done with. Gah, what had she gotten herself into? Still, it raised the question of how Naruto would react if she was truly dating someone again. As much as she appreciated his concern for her, Naruto had to know when to draw the line.

Not knowing what else to say, she finally settled for, "Why is it so bad?"

He gave her an incredulous look, as if the answer should be obvious. "It's Uchiha Itachi!"

"Would you feel any differently if it was someone else?" she asked wearily, recalling a similar conversation they had when she had begun dating Neji.

Naruto scowled. "What has that got to do with anything?"

Getting a little annoyed now, she released his shoulders and planted her hands on her hips. "You were just as mad when I started dating Neji, remember?" Deciding that she might as well voice the rest of her thoughts while she was at it, she said, "I want to have a love life too, Naruto. And right now, that happens to be Itachi. Do you think that it's too much of me to ask you not to make things difficult?"

He averted his gaze, obviously disturbed.

Knowing that her words were finally registering on her friend, Sakura pressed on in a quieter voice, "I can't say that we'll end up together in the end. I mean, look at what happened to Neji and I. But for now, I'm sort of trying to make things work with Itachi."

A heavy sigh left Naruto then, and she could see that he was still undecided. Still, the thoughtful expression on his face gave her hope that he would see sense. He needed another small nudge.

"Naruto, if you're dating someone, you won't want me to dislike her, right?" she asked softly.

He glanced sharply at her. "But I'm not-"

"I know you're not seeing anyone right now," she interjected. "But if you are, you'd want me to be okay with it, right?"

Naruto scowled. "I guess." Then he deflated visibly. Running his hand through his unruly blonde locks, he muttered, "I suppose it can't be helped now."

Finally, Sakura thought with relief.

"And like you said, it might not even work out in the end," Naruto added with an unmistakable hint of hope.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah." Deciding to change the topic, she asked, "Anyway, let's not think about that for now, okay? Did you get the letter this morning?"

Naruto blinked, and then a smile stretched across his face. "The ANBU one, right?"

Sakura nodded, glad that Naruto's attention was now shifted away from her so-called relationship with Uchiha Itachi. "So, we have a lot of training to do for the examinations."

"Let's go see if Teme's got the letter as well."

"Of course he would have gotten it. ANBU will be mad to pass him up," Sakura remarked with a grin.

Naruto made a face. "He's not that great."

Sakura rolled her eyes, and Naruto grinned. Then, flinging his arm around her shoulders, they continued to walk towards the training grounds again. When they finally arrived at their destination, Sasuke was already there. He was sitting on a felled log, staring out into the horizon, seemingly unaware of their approach.

Sakura took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Since Naruto had heard about her and Itachi, she could not help but wonder if Sasuke had caught wind of the same thing.

"Sasuke?" she ventured.

When he turned around, his expression was unreadable. "You're both late," he intoned flatly.

"Kakashi-sensei is not here yet, is he?" Sakura commented in an attempt to thwart the inevitable question. He would definitely hear about the fight between Naruto and Itachi later, anyway. Besides, she did not feel like going through the entire thing again.

"He's always late," Sasuke pointed out. "Why are you two late?"

"Got a little sidetracked," Sakura quickly said before Naruto could open his mouth. "So, did you get the letter from ANBU?"

Without getting up from the log, Sasuke reached into his pocket. With a small smirk, he pulled out a familiar letter.

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly. "Now we're all set."

"Yo!"

Sakura turned around to find their sensei standing nearby. In a manner perfected by many years of practice, the three of them accused in unison, "You're late!"

"You're all set for what?" the Copy-Nin asked, blatantly ignoring their accusation.

"ANBU, of course!" Naruto burst out with a grin, grabbing Sasuke's letter and waving it in the air, much to the Uchiha's disgruntlement.

"We all got the letter of acceptance this morning. All we have to do now is to make sure we pass the exams," she said resolutely, punching a fist into her palm.

Kakashi clapped his hand together, his eye creasing.

"Then what are you all waiting for? You have a lot of training to do."

000

* * *

000

The confrontation went as well as could be expected, Itachi thought wryly as he walked away from the dispersing crowd.

With an inward sigh, he stared straight ahead at the ANBU headquarters. This task he had commissioned was turning out to be more complicated than he had anticipated. The repercussions of the confrontation between him and Naruto would not end there. Therefore, it was fortunate that he had just picked up an assignment which meant that he would be away from Konoha for the next few days.

It was a short reconnaissance mission to the neighboring country. The background information had been given to them by their ally in Suna. According to the mission brief, an organization had appeared in the west. The aim of the organization was currently unknown, but at the moment, it was clear that they were powerful enough to disrupt Suna's border security. That, in itself, was enough of a concern. If the organization could cause problems for Suna, they might decide to do the same to Konoha.

It did not take long for him to track down Genma and Shino. Considering the relatively mild nature of the mission, it was not necessary to include a medic, a fact which brought mixed reactions from his team. Genma was disappointed, while Shino did not display any reaction. The three of them then spent the rest of the day strategizing for their new mission, plotting out methods to maximize information gains from Suna.

When Itachi finally returned to the Uchiha compound, it was nearly midnight. Therefore he was surprised to find his father and his mother waiting for him in the kitchen. Both of them were seated at the table, each with a cup of steaming tea in front of them.

"Chichi-ue. Okaa-san," he greeted as he stepped into the small room.

His mother smiled at him. "Long day?"

"I received a new mission brief today," he explained.

His father gestured at an empty seat. "Join us."

It was clearly an order. Without a word, Itachi pulled out the chair and sat down. He could guess why his parents wished to speak to him. Reaching out, he poured himself a cup of tea while he waited for them to proceed.

"We heard an interesting rumor today," Fugaku began.

"Oh?"

"You're courting Haruno Sakura?"

Itachi took a sip of tea before he responded, "Aa."

Beaming, his mother interjected then, her tone betraying her pleasure. "Sasuke's teammate? She's a lovely girl."

Lovely? Itachi did not know if that was how he would describe Sakura. She was one of the strongest kunoichi he knew, one who could be extremely violent when required. He also knew that she was loyal to a fault and was occasionally rather emotional. As for the physical aspect, he admitted that she was pleasant to look at.

Fugaku took on a contemplative look. "She is the Hokage's apprentice a few years back, was she not?"

Itachi nodded.

"She is a good choice. The clan would approve," his father murmured. "So when are you planning to propose?"

Placing his cup on the table, Itachi glanced up at his father. "Not yet."

Fugaku's brow rose. "Not yet?" Then he frowned disapprovingly. "I hope you're not planning to compromise her honor before you marry her."

"Fugaku…" his mother began, a frown furrowing her brows.

Holding up a hand to halt her words, Itachi assured his father, "She will not be compromised."

As Fugaku nodded, Itachi wondered if his father was aware that most kunoichi nowadays tended to seek 'entertainment' without any strings attached. He had been approached by enough of them over the years. Still, he had no intention of 'compromising' Sakura in such a manner. They would be required to be somewhat intimate in public as their relationship progressed, but to go further was wholly unnecessary.

"Well, Itachi. I hope you'll bring her home soon," his mother said with a smile.

"She has been here to visit before," Itachi pointed out.

His mother smiled. "Of course we have met. But this is different, don't you think? Invite her for dinner one day."

"Hm."

"She should be introduced to the clan formally," Fugaku said.

Knowing that their relationship was still rather shaky, and was unlikely to pass the scrutiny of the more perceptive clan members, Itachi shook his head at his father. "Not now."

An impatient look crossed Fugaku's features. "Then when?"

"Soon," Itachi responded cryptically.

His father looked far from satisfied, but that was all Itachi would agree to. After all, the fact that he had actually chosen a bride, albeit a fake one, should satisfy the clan. He had no intention of complicating his life further for the moment.

000

* * *

000

It had not taken long for the news about her and Itachi to spread all over Konoha like wildfire. The confrontation between Naruto and Itachi had happened a few days ago, and now, everyone knew about it.

Sakura had fended off question after question, and she was growing rather annoyed by the whole thing, especially those evil looks she had been getting from several female chuunin who were obviously fans of Itachi. Fortunately, they were not brave or stupid enough to challenge her for the right to the Uchiha. She truly did not know how she would handle it if such a thing happened.

Itachi, however, had it easy, she thought with an inward glower. The Uchiha had been away from Konoha for the last few days, therefore managing to avoid the worst of it. His ANBU squad had been sent to Suna to gather information. He could have at least taken her along with him on that mission, but no, he had to leave her behind this time.

Much to her surprise, and relief, Kakashi and Sasuke had not said much on the topic. Her sensei had only given her several odd looks, but that was it. Sasuke had remained closed-lipped, making her wonder if Itachi had indeed spoken to his little brother about the relationship. It would explain why the younger Uchiha had said nothing to her.

So, with the headache of having to deal with the repercussions of their relationship coming out in the open, she was relieved when Neji invited her out for lunch, providing her with a little distraction.

They had met in a small tearoom near the central Konoha, a place frequented by many shinobi. Throughout the meal, Neji had said nothing about the incident, and they spoke only about her application for ANBU. It was only when they had finished dessert that the Hyuuga brought up the topic.

"I heard the rumors," Neji began as he poured them both fresh cups of tea.

"Rumors?" Sakura asked as she cupped her hands around the steaming beverage. It was much more than a rumor now, surely, she thought dryly.

Neji nodded. "About you and Uchiha Itachi."

"Oh, that one."

The Hyuuga's pale eyes were searching hers, as if he was trying to discern what her thoughts were. Knowing just how well Neji could read her, she tried to keep her expression bland. It was hard to hide things from him since he had always been able to read her very well. Ironically, this was one trait of his that had eventually led to the dissolution of their relationship.

"What is really going on, Sakura?" he asked softly. "Is this serious?"

She could not tell him the truth. The mission brief forbade it, even though she knew that Neji could be trusted with the information. So, she had no choice but to lie.

"I don't know, Neji." She forced out a confused frown, hoping that it was convincing enough. "It's still early days."

"So you don't know what his intentions are?"

She shook her head. "This is Uchiha Itachi we're talking about here. He's not the most talkative person, you know." Giving Neji a small grin, she continued, "Kind of worse than you are, actually."

Neji's brows furrowed. "I was not… comfortable with the situation back then."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know. It took months before we could even get a proper conversation going. So, what makes you think he is more comfortable with the entire situation?"

"He is comfortable enough to make a move on you," Neji pointed out flatly.

Biting back a grin, she retorted, "What makes you think I wasn't the one who made the move first?"

He raised a brow at her. "I know you well enough to know that you had no such interest in Uchiha Itachi a couple of months ago."

She fought not to wince at the accuracy of his words. "Well, things change."

"Truly?"

Huffing, she scowled at him. "Why are you asking things like this?"

At that, Neji lowered his pale eyes to his cup. The small furrow between his brows told Sakura that he had not tossed those questions at her at random. He was trying to get to something.

"Neji?" she prompted. "You know you can tell me what's bothering you."

He lifted his head and their eyes met. "I want to make sure that you're not pressured into a relationship that you don't want. He's the Uchiha heir. And if this goes further, you know what his clan would expect from you."

She sighed. "Yeah, I know." It would never come to that, though, she added silently. "I haven't thought much about it yet."

"It's best that you start considering what such a relationship means." With a grimace, he added, "I doubt Uchiha Itachi would take that sort of rejection well if it came to it."

Recalling their amicable break-up, Sakura grinned. "For all you know, it could be as easy as ours."

He gave her a dry look. "You know that's different."

She shrugged. "Still, I think it's too soon to consider something like that. We've just begun dating."

"Fine. So long as you know what you're doing."

The air around them seemed to chill all of a sudden, interrupting the flow of their conversation. Sakura immediately tensed in reflex.

"Sakura."

She blinked at the familiar tones, surprised to hear it. And then she turned around to find Itachi standing behind her, his expression unreadable as always. What was he doing here? Did he need her for an ANBU mission or something? Or was he here because of the other mission? Maybe he was here for a meal. It was a restaurant, after all.

"Itachi," she greeted. Looking around him and spotting no one else with him, she asked, "You're here alone?"

"I was searching for you."

"Oh."

Itachi took his eyes away from her, switching his attention to Neji. "Hyuuga."

"Uchiha," Neji greeted just as blandly.

Sakura suppressed a wince. What was it with clan prodigies and their inability to communicate like normal human being? The two of them sounded so stilted. And now, they were just staring at each other silently, almost as if they were trying to read each other's next move. She rolled her eyes. This was not a battle, for goodness's sakes!

"So, Itachi. You said you were looking for me?" she asked pointedly.

The Uchiha turned around slowly until their eyes met. "Yes."

She wanted to shake him. It was difficult enough to do act like they were a couple, but to do it under Neji's watchful eyes were worse. As it was, she had to refrain from glancing at Neji to check his reaction.

"And?" she prompted, stretching her lips into a smile.

He regarded her for a long while, making her feel as if she wanted to fidget. Finally, when she thought she could not stand it anymore, he finally asked, "Are you available for dinner tomorrow?"

Dinner? Her eyes widened until she recalled that she had yet to go on a proper date with Itachi. Yes, dinner might be a good start.

She beamed. "Of course."

"I shall see you at seven tomorrow," Itachi said. "At your apartment."

"Sure."

Then, without another word, Itachi turned and walked out of the restaurant. Almost immediately, the tension in the air dissipated.

Blinking at the exit of the restaurant, Sakura mused over the encounter. A proper date with Itachi, huh? It was kind of abrupt, the way Itachi had approached her. But then again, he was not exactly 'normal'. A little belatedly, she wondered if she should have asked him what he had planned for their dinner date.

"Sakura?"

She turned to find Neji looking at her oddly. "What?"

"Are you alright?"

Oh, no. Had Neji picked up on something? "Of course I'm alright. Why do you ask?"

The Hyuuga shook his head. "I found that encounter a little odd, that's all."

"You're reading too much into it."

Neji glanced in the direction of the door, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Perhaps."

She let out an exasperated huff. "Neji. He asked me out for a meal. Couples usually date, as you know."

"I wonder."

Neji was sharp, but she could not afford to let him get suspicious about it. Or she would have effectively failed her mission. Deciding to go on the offensive, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. She then plastered a scowl on her face for good measure.

"You sound as if you couldn't quite believe that someone wants to date me," she accused tightly.

Neji's eyes immediately widened as a look of alarm appeared on his face. "No. That's not what I meant."

"Then why is it so difficult to believe that Itachi and I are dating?" she shot back.

"I'm just a little concerned."

"Honestly, Neji. You're almost as bad as Naruto sometimes."

The comparison obviously did not please the Hyuuga, for Neji's eyes instantly narrowed in annoyance. Sakura had to suppress a smirk at the look. Served him right for trying to poke into this matter, she thought.

"Fine. I just hope that whatever happens, you won't end up getting hurt."

She immediately softened at his gruff concern. In a gentle tone, she replied, "Don't worry, Neji. I'll be okay. I promise."

After all, it was a relatively safe mission, was it not?

000

* * *

000

Itachi stepped out of the tearoom back into the street. Unsurprisingly, his path was soon blocked by a curious Shisui.

"So? What did you do?" the older Uchiha asked, his dark eyes gleaming in question.

"I spoke to her," Itachi replied evenly. "As you suggested."

"And?"

Itachi regarded him wordlessly, and then continued his journey back to the Uchiha compound without waiting to see if the other Uchiha was following.

An exasperated sound escaped Shisui. "You mean you don't care that she's having lunch with her ex? Are you waiting for her to go back to him or something?"

Itachi stifled the urge to frown. He had been walking towards the Uchiha compound with Shisui when they both saw Sakura and the Hyuuga in the tearoom. For a moment, Itachi had felt a twinge of annoyance. Considering that the Hyuuga and Sakura had an intimate past, it was hardly appropriate to see them alone together in such a manner. It was something that the clan would frown upon.

Still, he had been willing to ignore it until Shisui insisted that he had to go in, to stake his claim, so to speak. Therefore, he had done so. Clearly, it was not enough to stop Shisui from talking about it.

"So?" Shisui pressed. "Damn it, Itachi. Do you want this girl or not?"

Finally stopping, Itachi faced Shisui directly. "I trust her," he responded simply.

"Oh."

His mention of trust was deliberate. Itachi kept his eyes on the other Uchiha, reading his expression for anything that might give away his true loyalties. As far as he could tell, Shisui was not very different that the Shisui he had known all his life. And yet, due to his suspicious actions recently, Itachi had to remain wary around his childhood friend.

"How far have you gone with her?" Shisui suddenly asked.

How far? "Perhaps you wish to elaborate?" Itachi returned evenly.

Shisui gave him an odd look. "You kissed her yet?" he asked bluntly. "Or has it gone further than that?"

The mere thought of doing such things with Sakura was truly unsettling. She was a comrade, and comrades did not act in such a manner towards each other. And yet, they had to be relatively intimate due to the nature of her role. The fact that both his father and Shisui thought it necessary to broach the subject, albeit from different angles, irked him.

"Hey, Itachi. Did you hear me?"

"Aa."

"So?"

"Such a matter is none of your concern," he replied flatly.

Shisui shook his head as he groaned. "I take it that you haven't even tried."

Not unless it was truly necessary, Itachi thought. Deciding that he had spoken enough about Sakura, he slanted a surreptitious glance at the other Uchiha and changed the topic. "You missed the clan meeting last night."

Shisui stiffened slightly, and then chuckled. "Oh, there was a meeting?"

Pinning an uncompromising gaze on the older shinobi, Itachi pressed, "You're aware of it."

"Did you turn up?"

Itachi shook his head once. "I returned late from my mission. But I hear that the clan remarked upon your absence."

"Shit."

Surprised at Shisui's response, Itachi halted and turned fully to the older shinobi. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Shisui frowned at the ground, a contemplative look on his face. There was obviously something bothering him, and Itachi wondered if it had anything to do with his suspicions. If yes, then it was unlikely that Shisui would admit to it.

Finally, a weary breath left the older Uchiha. Without looking at him, Shisui muttered, "Look, Itachi. I've been… seeing someone."

This was all about a woman? Was this the truth or was this an excuse Shisui had just made up?

"Who?" Itachi asked.

"I can't tell. She's not exactly… acceptable."

"Hm."

Was this the reason for Shisui's absence? Or was it merely an excuse? Itachi could not tell.

"Look, I don't really want to talk about her, alright?" Shisui muttered, sounding a little discomfited. "At least not now."

Knowing Shisui as he did, Itachi knew that the older Uchiha could be most obstinate when he wished to be. Therefore, it was probably best not to push it. He simply needed to continue watching Shisui. If Shisui was doing something to endanger Konoha and the Uchiha clan, Itachi was certain that he would eventually slip, and then the truth would be revealed.

For now, he would simply bide his time.

000

* * *

000

Sakura stared at the hanging dresses in her cupboard, sighing as she did so. What did one wear on a dinner date with Uchiha Itachi? Perhaps she should have asked him where he planned on taking her. That way, she would have at least some idea of what to choose. She knew so little about Itachi that she had no idea the sort of places he frequented.

Reaching out, she picked pulled out two dresses that she considered quite neutral. Tossing both on her bed, she regarded them thoughtfully. One was a halter-neck black sleeveless black dress which flared out slightly above her knees, and the other was a maroon dress with a lower neckline and A-line skirt. She could wear either, she supposed.

A quick glance at the clock told her that she had fifteen minutes before Itachi came to get her. If this was a real date, she would probably be ready and waiting already. But since this was a mission, it did not quite feel the same, she thought as she glanced back down at the dresses.

Perhaps she should just wait for Itachi and then ask his opinion. It was not as if she was trying to impress him anyway. Besides, he might have his ideas on how she should dress as his date.

That decided, she went to the dresser and swiftly dabbed on make-up on her face. She would change out of her training vest and her shorts when Itachi arrived.

A series of knock reached her not long afterwards. She jogged out to the front door and yanked it open to find the Uchiha standing there. He was dressed in a pair of civilian pants and some sort of tight-fitting long-sleeved top, all in black. She could not help but notice that this was the first time she had seen him in such clothing and she had to admit that he looked good in it. These clothes revealed what his loose shinobi clothes hid.

"Itachi," she greeted.

"Sakura."

His gaze swept over her attire once before their eyes met. It was clear that he had expected to see her dressed differently. Still, she could almost swear that there was a hint of amusement in those onyx orbs of his. And then his brow quirked questioningly.

Understanding his unspoken question, Sakura chuckled and held the door wider. "Come on in and I'll explain."

Once the door was shut behind him, she gestured for him to sit on the couch before rushing into her room to bring out the two dresses. When she came out again, he was staring at her from the couch, his eyes flicking to the dresses she held in each hand.

"I don't know where we were going, so I'm just going to let you pick what I wear," she remarked, inclining her head at the dresses. "Black or maroon?"

His gaze landed on each dress momentarily. "Either would be suitable," he finally said.

A huff of exasperation left her. "Pick one."

His lips thinned slightly, making her wonder if she was pushing her luck with his patience. And then, in a quiet voice, he said, "The maroon dress."

She smiled at him. "Thanks. Won't take a minute."

Disappearing back into her room, she quickly changed and emerged a minute later, dressed in the maroon dress. Itachi was no longer sitting, but standing in front of her bookcase, perusing her reading material. He turned around when she was halfway across the living room. It was then that she caught the direction of his gaze an instant before those onyx orbs came back up to her face.

Steps grinding to a half, she stared at him in disbelief. Was Uchiha Itachi staring at her chest just a second ago? Or was it simply her imagination? Surreptitiously, she glanced down at the dress, noting that the neckline exposed more than her usual outfits. But then again, Itachi did not seem to be the type to ogle women. She must be just imagining things.

"Is something the matter?" he asked smoothly.

His voice jolted her out of her stupor. Feeling a little self-conscious now, she shook her head. "No. Just thinking of some random thing. Let's go."

By the time they exited her apartment, Sakura was more than convinced that the whole ogling thing was simply the result of her overactive imagination. To think otherwise would make the mission even more awkward.

When they stepped out into the streets, Itachi reached out to hold her lightly by the elbow. A small tingle ran up her spine at the unfamiliar contact, but her partner did not seem to have noticed it.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they began to walk.

"A restaurant in the east district," he replied in his usual smooth tones.

Deciding to leave it at that, she allowed herself to be led to their destination. While they walked, she recognized a number of people she knew. When those people turned to stare at her and Itachi, Sakura simply smiled and raised a hand to wave casually at them. Even though the news had spread around Konoha, this was the first time she and Itachi were actually out on a date, so she supposed that she should expect to be stared at.

Not long afterwards, she found herself in a more affluent area of Konoha. This was not the first time she had come to this area. She recognized one of the restaurants at the end of the street as the one Neji had taken her for lunch one day. Amused, she decided that this must be the entertainment district for the members of prestigious clans.

Itachi drew to a stop outside a wood-paneled façade. The signboard above the door declared it to be a restaurant, just below a welcoming row of lanterns hanging off the edge of the roof. Without a word, Itachi guided her through the door opening.

When they set foot into the restaurant, her eyes widened slightly. The décor was lavish, done in the traditional style. Richly embroidered cushions were placed in front of highly polished low tables, on top of which laid nicely arranged utensils. Illumination was provided only by the oil lamps and lanterns hanging overhead, giving the place a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

She snuck a sideway glance at Itachi to check his reaction, only to find his attention occupied by an approaching hostess.

"Welcome, Uchiha-san," the middle-aged woman greeted with a smile. "Your table is ready, if you'd like to follow me?"

"Aa."

Silently, Sakura followed Itachi and the hostess as they walked through the foyer. She supposed she should not be too surprised that Itachi was known by name here. He probably came to these sorts of places regularly, which explained why she rarely saw him in those places she and her teammates frequented.

When they walked through the main restaurant, she noticed that their arrival drew several curious glances from the other patrons. She recognized a handful as older shinobi, those around her sensei's age.

Eventually, they finally arrived at their table. Sakura sat down on the cushion, tucking her legs primly to one side. Opposite her, Itachi sat cross-legged as the hostess walked away. Wondering why they had not been given a menu, Sakura arched a brow at the departing woman.

"I've pre-ordered the meal," Itachi murmured.

"Oh."

A part of her bristled at the idea that he did not even bother asking what she wanted to eat. But another part of her appreciated the fact that he had planned so far ahead.

When their meal arrived shortly afterwards, however, all those thoughts flew from her mind. Staring at the selection of steaming dishes in front of her, Sakura felt her mouth water in anticipation. Each portion was small, but the variety was astounding. The pickiest eater would not be able to find fault with it. This was definitely one unexpected perk of this mission, she thought gleefully.

"Is this acceptable?"

Itachi's quiet voice broke into her fixation with the food. Tearing her eyes away from the dishes, Sakura looked up, beaming her appreciation at him. He continued to regard her with a questioning look.

"This looks incredible. Thanks, Itachi!"

"Hm."

Picking up the chopsticks, she said eagerly, "Let's eat before they get cold, huh?"

The corner of his lips lifted slightly, displaying his amusement at her enthusiasm. Smiling happily, she began to dig into the food. All those morsels were as good as they looked, she soon discovered. For the next half an hour, she was fully occupied with the meal, taking brief breaks only to make remarks about the dishes to her silent partner.

When they were almost at the end of the meal, Sakura decided that for the sake appearances, they should really converse a little more. The problem was, she was not sure what to say to the Uchiha.

In a low voice, she asked, "So… what could we talk about?"

He lifted a brow in question, and Sakura had to resist the urge to groan. Perhaps they should simply continue to sit in silence for the rest of the meal, only making comments about the food. But then again, that would not look like a proper date, would it?

Well, it was clear that the shinobi opposite her had no skills in small talk at all. And if she wanted this to look good, she had to make the effort. There was no way she would mess up her first solo mission of this kind.

"How are your parents?" she began, reaching out to pick up the last gyoza with her chopstick.

If he was surprised by the question, he definitely hid it well, for he calmly replied, "They are well."

She waited for him to continue. However, her exasperating date did nothing of the sort. Instead, he calmly picked up another morsel of food, placed it in his mouth and chewed slowly. This went on for another five minutes, by which time, Sakura noticed that they had managed to finish all the food on the table.

She put her chopsticks down slowly. Plastering a smile on her face, she leaned forward until their faces were merely two inches apart. Only then did she hiss softly, "A conversation is a two-way thing, Itachi-san. It might help if you participate."

He did not even twitch at her proximity. Instead, he simply stared into her eyes. They were so close that she could almost feel as if she was sharing his warm breath. And to her annoyance, she could not help but notice just how long his eye-lashes were. Surely something like that was wasted on a male, she grouched inwardly.

When the silence stretched on, she concluded that he had no intention of responding. And so, she sat back down.

"Small talk is pointless, don't you agree?" he suddenly remarked.

Sakura blinked. "Well, I suppose it depends on how you think of it. I think it's better than sitting in silence." Then her lips twitched. "But I guess you'd prefer to speak of… less inconsequential topics."

"Aa."

She scrunched her face, wondering what they could talk about. And then it hit her.

"Okay. No small talk then. Let's talk about why you joined ANBU."

He arched a brow at her. "Why do you wish to know?"

She waved a hand around in no particular direction. "Well, that's not small talk. And besides, I'm interested. Not many shinobi end up as an ANBU captain at the age of thirteen, you know."

"Hm."

"So?" she prompted a little impatiently.

His eyes flickered away from her then. "Perhaps another time."

Before she could say another word, the hostess came up to their table. Smiling, she asked, "Is everything satisfactory, Uchiha-san?"

"Yes."

The hostess turned to her. "And for you?" she enquired politely.

Sakura nodded. "It is very good, thank you."

"Is there something else we could get for you?" the hostess asked.

Itachi gave her a questioning look, to which Sakura simply shook her head. "I'm fine."

"We will leave, then," Itachi murmured. To the hostess, he said, "Charge my account as usual."

The hostess nodded. "Very well, Uchiha-san."

Turning back to her, he asked, "Shall we depart?"

Sakura nodded, getting to her feet as he did. The hostess escorted them out of the premises, wishing them a good evening before she retreated back into the restaurant. Standing outside under the dim lights of the lantern, Sakura glanced up at her dinner date. Despite his silence, it had been quite enjoyable.

"So, thanks for dinner," she said with a small smile.

He inclined his head, and then, to her surprise, took her elbow in his hand to steer her in the direction of central Konoha. It occurred to her then that the Uchiha compound was in the opposite direction. Wondering where he was guiding her to, she blinked at him in question.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Walking you home."

"Um… You don't have to, you know," she pointed out, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the idea for some reason.

"It is customary for the male to escort his date home, is it not?" he asked smoothly.

"I guess," she muttered.

Images of Itachi leaving her at her door, and then bestowing her a goodbye kiss suddenly flashed across her mind, making her twitch. One day, she knew that they would probably have to do that, but now, the whole idea seemed uncomfortably strange.

Involuntarily, her eyes slid to his mouth. Before she could stop herself, she began to wonder what it would be like.

She immediately felt her cheeks grow hot.

Yanking her eyes away from his lips, she glowered inwardly. What was she doing, thinking like that? If it happened, then it happened. A kiss should not be a big deal, since it was not as if she was giving up her first kiss on a mission. She had been kissed before, after all.

Yes, it should not be a big deal at all.

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It was curious how her face had turned red all of a sudden, Itachi mused as he regarded the kunoichi wordlessly. All he had said was that he would accompany her home. Whilst it was not something he had ever done before, he was fairly certain that such a thing was the norm for 'dating' couples.

"So, any new missions coming up?" she asked suddenly.

"Perhaps in a few days."

"Oh! Kakashi-sensei told us that we'll be going on a mission around that time too," she supplied.

"Hm."

He hoped that he would not require the skills of a medic, then. Lately, Hatake Kakashi had the most irksome habit of accepting missions which clashed with his ANBU ones.

After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "I guess you know we're applying for ANBU."

"Aa."

She turned to him. "So, do you think we could make it?"

"Perhaps."

Her brows furrowed as his response. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The entrance examination will not be easy."

"Well, Naruto, Sasuke and I are training for it right now. We have about six weeks to prepare."

"Hm."

Grinding to a sudden halt, she threw her hands up, looking exasperated. Itachi was certain that this was not the type of expression one should wear on a 'date'. However, he decided not to remark upon it. After all, the kunoichi was clearly annoyed about something.

"Your turn."

He frowned slightly at her words.

She swung towards him, planting her hands on her hips. "You need to talk to keep the conversation going, Uchiha-san," she hissed under her breath. "I can't do all the talking."

"You cannot?" He was under the impression that she was certainly fully capable of doing such a thing. She rivaled Genma in this department, if he recalled correctly.

"What are you implying?" she gritted out.

"You never seem to find it difficult to talk." He paused for a moment, and then continued, "During missions."

Her eyes narrowed. "That is because Genma, and even Shino, responds with a little bit more enthusiasm."

He raised a brow.

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "There. That's what I meant. How am I supposed to know what you mean when the only response I get is that little move you make with your eyebrow?"

"I was not aware that a verbal response is required."

A choked sound escaped her then, and her face reddened visibly, much to Itachi's amusement. He was not attempting to annoy her on purpose, but he found her reaction amusing, nonetheless. Perhaps in the future, he would do so deliberately.

"I can't imagine how your REAL girlfriend is going to deal with you," she hissed under her breath, low enough that no one else could hear her.

"Then it is just as well that I do not have one," he responded evenly.

She yanked her arm away from him then. "Argh! You're missing the point!"

"Is that so?"

Her eyes glittered with annoyance. "Yes!"

He stared at her silently, uncertain why she seemed so agitated.

To his surprise, her lips suddenly twitched just before she took a deep breath. Appearing to be amused by something, she leaned back closer to him, threading her arm through his elbow. The way their arms were linked meant that he could not help but feel the press of her soft flesh against his biceps. He could not recall the last time he had allowed another person to invade his personal space to this extent. Still, he knew that it was necessary for them to do so to maintain the illusion of intimacy.

"Say, I believe we just had our first quarrel," she remarked with a grin.

"Hm."

Was such a thing a significant milestone in a relationship? He would not know, for he had never been in a proper relationship in the past. In fact, he had never seriously considered a relationship. It made him wonder if it would be anything like what he was going through with Sakura at the moment. They had conversed on many occasions, and so far, he did not find those sessions objectionable. In addition to that, the meal with her had not been unpleasant, which made Itachi wonder if they should adopt this type of outing regularly as a part of the charade. All he needed to do was to find a convenient time for them to meet each day in public, one which would not encroach too much upon his daily routine.

He slanted a glance to the side to find her staring straight ahead into some indeterminable spot. She seemed deep in thought.

"Sakura."

She blinked once. "Huh?"

"What do you usually do at midday?" he asked.

"Oh. Midday? Lunch, I guess," she replied immediately. "Naruto tends to drag us to Ichiraku whenever he could, but sometimes, we end up just eating the okonomiyaki from the stall near the bookshop." Pausing for breath, her brows furrowed slightly. "Why?"

"Make yourself available at noon every weekday," he instructed. "We will have lunch together when there are no missions."

Her lips parted in surprise. Then she gave him a dry look. In a low voice, she muttered, "You really have to work on your charm, you know that? People do not generally give orders to their dates. They ask."

He supposed he could have worded it differently, but it would mean exactly the same thing. "It is noted."

She rolled her eyes then. "Am I glad that this is only a mission," she remarked, her lips twitching with amusement.

Itachi was not certain how he should take her comment. Did she mean to say that he lacked the qualities to be a good date? Still, that was her personal opinion. Perhaps they were simply incompatible.

They continued the rest of the journey in companionable silence, much to Itachi's surprise. He had expected her to continue talking, but it seemed that she had no intention of doing so. Instead, she simply walked beside him.

Not long afterwards, they arrived at the entrance of her apartment. Her arm slid away from the crook of his elbow as she turned to face him.

"Thanks for walking me home," she said, clasping her hand in front of her almost primly. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow for lunch, huh?"

"We will meet in front of the Hokage Tower."

She nodded. "At noon."

"Aa."

He could sense the curiosity of the passer-bys as they stood there at her apartment door. But that was not all he detected. His senses told him that two shinobi were hidden on the roof in the opposite building, with a third one rapidly approaching the two. Even though their chakra was masked, he could guess their identity.

It had occurred to Itachi to simply walk away then, but he knew that there was something else he should do, considering that they had an audience. If not for their audience, he would have simply bid her goodbye and left. But to leave now would be tantamount to leaving the date… unfinished.

As he thought over what he was about to do, he felt strangely discomfited by the notion. Gazing into Sakura's face told him that she had guessed what was about to happen, and was similarly uneasy about it. Shuffling her feet, she chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes flitted left and right. Strangely enough, her anxiety acted to alleviate his discomfort considerably.

Deciding to get it over with, Itachi lowered his head towards her. Her eyes shot wide open then, and a soft gasp escaped. The sound drew his attention to her lips, but before another thought could form in his mind, he steeled his resolve and brushed a kiss against her cheek, just by the corner of her lips.

Straightening stiffly, he inclined his head at her. "Sleep well."

Emerald eyes blinked, and then she took a deep breath, as if to calm herself. Much to his surprise, when she finally spoke, her voice was uncharacteristically quiet and shy.

"Good night, Itachi."

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A/N: Hope you've enjoyed that little bit of fluffiness (grins). Well, as always, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the previous chapter. This one is a bit late because all my time is taken up with my new baby boy. He's going to be 3-weeks-old in a few days. I'm new at this, so still struggling with motherhood, hehe. So I hope you'll understand if the next few chapters are a little delayed. In the meantime, I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter.

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 7**

Kakashi was leaping from one rooftop to another, making his way home after dinner when he saw two shadowy figures in the distance, perched at the edge of a roof two buildings away. It took seconds for him to identify them. He should have known that this would happen ever since he heard the news about Sakura and the Uchiha heir. It was not the first time those two did something like this, but just how long had Naruto and Sasuke been spying on Sakura?

Sighing, Kakashi halted to consider his next action. Truly, the two of them needed to make better use of their shinobi skills. This was bordering on abuse. Unfortunately, as their sensei, it was his job to guide them to the right path.

With that thought, Kakashi swiftly made his way to his two students. He reached his destination in time to see Naruto and Sasuke tensing in shock. Judging by their position and their line of sight, he could guess just who they were spying on. And from their reaction, it sounded like something interesting had happened.

"Did you see that?!" came an outraged hiss from Naruto. "H-He kissed her!"

Kakashi blinked slowly as he digested those words. Considering the recent news on the grapevine, he supposed that such a thing would happen eventually. Still, this 'relationship' was certainly progressing fast, considering that the news had broken out not so long ago.

"Hm."

Kakashi could see that Sasuke had his attention was fixed to Sakura's apartment. What was the younger Uchiha thinking?

"Damn it, Teme! That's all you're going to say? He KISSED her!"

Still hidden from view, Kakashi tapped his lips thoughtfully. For some inexplicable reason, this whole thing between Sakura and the ANBU captain seemed a little odd to him. When he first heard about it, he had thought that it was rather strange that Uchiha Itachi had suddenly shown interest in Sakura. Still, perhaps the Uchiha had always intended to court Sakura.

Not far from him, Naruto continued to rant, "We have to do something about this!"

"Like what?" Sasuke's tone was curt.

Naruto threw his arms up in the air. "I don't know! Like get her away from him."

"Maybe she wants to be with him," Sasuke murmured thoughtfully.

"Are you out of your mind?! What does she see in him?"

Sasuke responded with silence. Kakashi could guess that the younger Uchiha was not too pleased by this development, but clearly, loyalty to his brother prevented him from saying more.

Deciding to reveal himself, Kakashi unmasked his chakra and then went towards them.

"What are you two doing?"

The two male members of his team jumped slightly before spinning around to face him. Hands in his pockets, Kakashi continued until he reached the parapet. Ignoring Naruto's gasps of protests, he peered over the barrier. He could see Uchiha Itachi walking away from Sakura's apartment.

"Hm. Standing here, spying on Sakura…This is rather familiar, isn't it?" Kakashi mused.

Naruto blinked at him. "Familiar? What do you mean?"

"He means Hyuuga Neji, you Dobe," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto had the grace to look sheepish. Chuckling, he said, "Well. That's a long time ago."

"And yet, you're here right now, doing the exact same thing," Kakashi chided lightly.

They stared at him as if he was out of his mind.

Kakashi shook his head. Truly, these two had to stop it. After all, if he remembered correctly, Sakura would turn nineteen in a few months, more than old enough to take care of her love life. Not that he would not interfere if needed, of course. He had a soft spot for the pink-haired kunoichi, after all. But only if the situation warranted it. And right now, spying on Sakura was certainly unwarranted.

"So, shall we go?" Kakashi asked pointedly.

Naruto and Sasuke peeled off from the edge of the roof, both looking rather disgruntled. Wordlessly, all three of them left the rooftop, jumping down to land on the street below, startling a couple of civilians in the process.

"I still can't believe it," Naruto muttered as they walked down the street.

Knowing fully well what Naruto was referring to, Kakashi arched a brow. "It's her choice, don't you think?"

Naruto slammed one fist into the other palm. "Well, Sakura won't be so stupid as to fall for him. This whole thing will blow over before we know it."

Sasuke gave him an irritated look. "Itachi will not spend time courting her unless he is serious."

"Yeah, but there's nothing he can do if Sakura dumps him like she dumped Neji, right?"

Sasuke did not respond this time, so Naruto turned to him.

"Kakashi-sensei? This whole thing will end soon, right?" the blonde asked again, this time with a slight hint of desperation in his voice.

This time, Kakashi frowned and replied the only way he could. "I don't know, Naruto."

The blonde slumped dejectedly, but there was really nothing else he could say. Considering how persistent Uchiha Itachi could be when he set his mind on something, Kakashi knew that dissuading him would be difficult. If Uchiha Itachi was bent on making Sakura his, Kakashi had to admit that there was little anyone else could do about it.

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It was just a tiny, tiny inconsequential kiss.

At least, that was what Sakura had been telling herself since their date last night. It was not as if she had not been kissed before, either, which made her reaction even more ridiculous. In fact, it could hardly be classified as a proper kiss, considering his lips had just brushed across her cheek in the softest caress, touching only the corner of her mouth. Sure her lips had tingled madly then, and her entire body had frozen in shock.

Gah! So why was she thinking about it STILL?

It must be because she knew that she had to meet the reason behind her befuddlement in a couple of hours. She had to get a grip on herself before she met up with him, or he would see that something was off about her.

Even her teammates were beginning to notice her distraction this morning, Sakura glowered as a small pebble struck the side of her head.

"Pay attention, Sakura."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," she muttered.

Focusing her attention in the middle of the space the four of them was circling, Sakura blinked at the almost ineligible scratches on the ground. She had no idea what they were talking about a while ago. How on earth had she managed to do that?

"What's this?" she blurted out.

"Sakura-chan, weren't you listening?" Naruto whined grumpily.

"Why else would I be asking?" she snapped.

Kakashi patted her on the shoulder. "Now, now, don't take out your irritation on others."

Knowing that he was right, Sakura huffed.

"Okay. Let's go through this again," Kakashi said with an eye crease. "The written examination is made up of several parts, but the two most important ones are strategic planning and psychology."

Naruto's face scrunched. "How are we going to prepare for that?"

"Ah, that's what the library is for," Kakashi remarked pleasantly. "It has quite long opening hours, I believe."

Sakura slammed a palm on her forehead. Kakashi could not be serious about this. "There are thousands of books in there, and you know it," she groaned.

Unperturbed, Kakashi simply waved a dismissive hand. "I know."

"What about the practical examination?" Sasuke asked.

"Ah, now that's a little different."

"Are you telling us or not?" Naruto asked impatiently. "What about the training we're already doing?"

"The training will get more difficult."

That was expected, she supposed. Well, Kakashi should know what he was doing since he had gone through the entire ANBU thing himself. The question was if he could forget being lazy long enough to teach them all they needed to know.

As if sensing her uncertainly, the Copy-nin patted her on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You will all be fine."

"Hm."

"Yeah," Naruto muttered.

Sakura simply sighed.

Eye creasing, Kakashi clapped his hand together. "Well, that's it for today then. I have important business to attend to now."

"Whose cat needs rescuing this time?" she asked dryly.

Kakashi immediately responded, "Oh, it's a tortoise today, not a cat. My new neighbor keeps leaving her door open, so her tortoise escapes quite often."

Sakura groaned out loud, but decided to say nothing more. There was no point in prodding Kakashi further because he would just come up with more inane excuses. So, the three of them simply watched as their sensei disappeared in a puff of smoke, as per his usual method of exit.

"Let's go for lunch!" Naruto called out.

Lunch? Sakura's eyes widened in apprehension.

Oh, how could she have forgotten that she would have to make excuses to Naruto and Sasuke for missing their lunch session? Naruto, especially, would not be too happy to hear that she had decided to forgo lunch with them to go eat with Itachi. Things were bad enough as it was, without adding this to the mix.

A concerned, whiskered face appeared before her, interrupting her train of thought. "Sakura-chan? Are you okay?"

She forced out a laugh. "Of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?"

"So, lunch?" Naruto prompted.

"No ramen today," Sasuke stipulated firmly.

Naruto swung towards him. "What's wrong with having ramen today?"

"We had it for the last three days." Sasuke's tone was flat.

"Fine, then." Turning to face her, the blonde said with a smile, "Sakura can pick a place this time."

Guilt slammed into her at the sight of her friend's expectant face. She hated the fact that she needed to do this to them, but it was too late to do anything about it now. In about five months, she would explain everything to them. Hopefully they would forgive her then.

"I'm sorry, guys. But I'm having lunch with Itachi."

Her declaration was met with silence. Naruto blinked at her in disbelief while Sasuke's brow drew together in obvious disapproval. Sakura swallowed hard as she waited for them to say something.

Then Naruto scowled. "But we always have lunch together."

"I know." She took a deep breath to fortify herself. "You see, Itachi and I don't really see much of each other since we're in different teams and all. So we decided to make lunch a regular thing."

"So you won't be coming with us for lunch anymore?" Naruto asked, his rounded blue eyes displaying his bewilderment. It was as if he could not believe what he was hearing.

She wanted to kick herself for hurting him this way. "We can do dinner instead," she suggested tentatively.

"But it's not the same!" he cried out agitatedly.

"Drop it, Dobe," Sasuke interjected in his bland tone.

Naruto glared at him. "Don't tell me you like the idea of her going off with that bastard everyday like that. It's bad enough that last night-"

"Shut up," Sasuke cut in swiftly.

But she had caught the gist of Naruto's unspoken words. Eyes narrowing slightly, she asked, "What about last night?"

Sasuke averted his eyes, while Naruto took on a guilty expression. That was enough of a confirmation for her. She should have expected this, since they had done the very same thing when she had been dating Neji. Even though she understood the motive behind their action, it was beginning to grate on her nerves. Since they were spying, she was pretty sure that they had seen Itachi kiss her. If it had been a real date, they would have been witnessing an intimate moment between her and her date. Was she not allowed any kind of privacy?

"You were spying on me," she ground out. "Again."

Naruto turned to her. "It's not like that, Sakura-chan," he cried out plaintively. "I just don't trust that Uchiha."

"The way you didn't trust Neji, huh?" She directed a glare at her other teammate. "What about you? You don't trust your own brother, Sasuke?"

Sasuke did not even bother responding to her.

Clenching her fists in annoyance while she subdued the urge to pound her two teammates into the ground, Sakura could only stare at them in silence. After a while, she let out a sigh of exasperation. They meant well, and as irritating as it was, she could not do anything about it.

"Well, I'm heading off now," she declared. "Let me know if you want to do dinner."

"Hm."

"Okay," said a more subdued Naruto.

And with that, she turned around and left the training grounds. It did not take her long to return home, shower and then find herself outside once again. Now that her annoyance at her teammates had subsided, her earlier thoughts about the kiss returned.

Okay, she had to look at this objectively. She had known that they would kiss at some point, and she had to admit that the one he had bestowed on her yesterday was pretty chaste. Her reaction was probably due to the shock of its unexpectedness. If she had been the one to kiss Itachi, she bet that she would not be thinking so much about it.

She gave herself a mental nod. Yes, that was probably the case. With that thought, she brushed back all thoughts about the kiss and then continued on her journey.

It was a few minutes after noon when she finally reached their designated meeting point. Itachi was already waiting there, leaning against the wall of a nearby building. Unlike last night, he was dressed in his usual training outfit.

She paused when she reached him, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Hi, Itachi," she greeted, sounding rather stiff even to her own ears.

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000

Inclining his head in greeting, Itachi ran his eyes over her. Unlike on mission, he noted that she emanated a faint, pleasant floral scene. She must have been training with her team this morning, and had just showered.

"So…" she began, her eyes darting left and right. "Where are we off to today?"

She seemed somewhat unsettled, he could not help but notice.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

Her eyes widened slightly, telling him that he had struck upon something. And then, quickly, she shook her head. He noticed that the smile which followed afterwards appeared rather weak.

"No. Of course not."

He continued to regard her silently, not missing the fact that she seemed to find it difficult to meet his eyes. How odd. This had never occurred before. Still, pushing the issue would be unwise, for he knew her well enough to be certain that if it was relevant to him, she would tell him. In the meantime, it was best that they progressed with the plan for the day.

With that thought, he inclined his head towards the dango shop nearby. "Come."

She fell into step beside him. Silently, they made their way across the street until they reached the entrance. Soon, they were both seated in the corner of the establishment. It was still early, and the lunch crowd had not arrived, ensuring them a little bit of privacy. He preferred it this way, even though the purpose of the outing was to publicly validate their relationship further.

The waiter came, leaving them a pot of steaming tea and two teacups before taking their orders. It was only after she had left that Sakura broke the silence.

"I've been here a few times and I like their food. But Sasuke's not keen on all the sweet stuff. Do you often come here?" she asked as she looked around, her earlier awkwardness all but gone.

Pouring the tea for both of them, he replied, "Not often."

"Oh. So where do you normally have lunch then?"

"At home."

She fell silent then, staring down at the teacup as she played with the rim. A wistful look crossed her features, making him wonder what she was thinking about. All of a sudden, he recalled her words last night about conversation being a two-way endeavor. Perhaps he should heed the advice. With that thought, he leaned back to contemplate what he should ask.

"What do you usually do for lunch?" he ventured finally.

She glanced up, a startled look on her face as if she was surprised to hear his question. He wondered if she truly thought that he was incapable of progressing a simple conversation. Perhaps she did, and strangely, that made him wonder what else she thought of him. He vaguely recalled being accused of having social flaws, though he had paid no attention to the specifics. From their outing last night, it was clear that Sakura also felt that he was lacking in those skills.

Discomfited by his stray thought, Itachi frowned inwardly. The opinions of others never concerned him before, therefore, why should it be any different now?

Sakura's measured words drew him out of his contemplations. "Well, normally I'd end up in Ichiraku with Naruto and Sasuke. Or when Sasuke and I manage to persuade him, the Okonomiyaki stall down by the river. Have you tried their special? It's really good."

He took a sip of tea before he replied, "I haven't."

Surprise flashed across her face. "You haven't eaten there? I thought everyone in Konoha had tried it once, at least."

He shook his head, wondering why it was so important to partake in the dish. There were many other stalls and restaurants in Konoha that he had not frequented, after all.

She adopted a resolute look then. "That does it! We'll have to go there one day."

"Aa."

Grinning, she went on, "Trust me. You'll like it."

"Hm."

The waiter returned a moment later with their lunch. Attention now shifted onto their food, the conversation between them paused.

Occasionally, he would look up to find his lunch date fully absorbed by the sweet dish before her. He could hear the little sounds of appreciation she made when she tasted a particularly pleasing mouthful. She did not appear to be aware of her own actions, he thought with a small quirk of his lips.

She only spoke when she finished her lunch.

"You know, I've been busy with training and Team Kakashi missions lately. How about you? Any missions coming up?" she asked as she pushed away her empty plate.

There were a few, but he had only been able to assign her to one. "Some," he replied.

She looked a little disappointed when he said nothing else. She must have noticed that she had not been on any ANBU missions lately. Perhaps he should inform her about the one she would be participating in.

"I've placed you on the squad for a mission. The Godaime approved it."

Her eyes immediately brightened. "Oh? When?"

"In a little more than two weeks."

She blinked, looking surprised this time. The myriad of expressions on her face was nothing short of intriguing. He supposed she had been this way for as long as he knew her, but he did not recall noticing in the past.

Leaning forward, she asked, "You arranged this with Tsunade so far ahead?"

"It is necessary."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

What he had was mere suspicions. However, he was fairly certain that those suspicions were accurate. So, after a brief moment of deliberation, Itachi decided that there was no harm in informing her of his thoughts. "Your team leader tends to arrange his missions and training sessions to coincide with my ANBU missions."

Her jaw dropped in astonishment. "What?" Wearing an incredulous look, she continued to stare at him for a long while before she spoke. "Wait. You're saying Kakashi is purposely accepting missions that clash with yours?"

"It appears so."

Leaning back against the chair, she frowned thoughtfully. "But I don't understand why."

He had thought that she would be perceptive enough to arrive at the obvious conclusion, but it was clear that when it came to her team, this skill of hers was badly impaired. This was a true demonstration of why shinobi should not form emotional links. Still, it would be rather unwise of him to involve himself further in the situation.

"Perhaps you should ask him," he offered.

Her frown deepened. "Yeah, you bet I will." After a short pause, she asked, "How long has this been going on?"

He simply shook his head.

A loud huff left her. "Fine. I'll just have to ask him myself."

"Aa." Casting a brief glance at their empty plates, he said, "We should leave."

She nodded, and then reached for her bag. Comprehending her intention, Itachi frowned slightly. Was it not customary for the male to pay for the meal during dates, or had Sakura forgotten her role? This might not be as 'formal' a date as the one last night had been, but it would not be seemly for him to allow her to pay.

"Stop."

She looked up, blinking at him in puzzlement. "Huh?"

He eyed her hand meaningfully.

A sheepish look came across her features. "Oh." Eyes darting left and right, she then whispered, "Sorry. It's a habit."

"Hm."

When the waitress came over, he paid for their meal. Then, without further ado, they both left the restaurant. Once outside, Sakura turned to face him.

"Thanks for lunch."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

"So, tomorrow again?"

"Aa."

She glanced around them at the approaching lunch crowd. "Good thing we came early, huh?"

"Hm." Inclining his head at the tearoom opposite the dango shop, he said, "We shall eat there tomorrow."

Smiling, she nodded. "Okay. So, I guess you're off to the ANBU headquarters now?"

"There is a mission a few days from now."

She sighed a little wistfully. "Well, good luck with that." Making a face, she went on, "And I really have to have a word with Kakashi about what you said earlier."

Falling silent, they stared at each other. Then, much to Itachi's surprise, Sakura took a small step forward to close the distance between them. There was a purposeful expression on her face, one which he had seen in the past during missions when she was steeling herself for some task ahead.

He remained still even when her hands landed lightly on his shoulders. It was only when she went on her toes and tilted her head up that he comprehended her intention. He felt a short flare of surprise just before her warm breath feathered over his chin.

Then her lips touched the corner of his, much like he had done to hers last night. She lingered momentarily, and in that short while, Itachi felt oddly compelled to turn and return the gesture. And yet, he did nothing of the sort. His entire body remained rigid and unmoving.

When she took a step away from him, he could see a slight blush on her cheeks, telling him that she was not completely unaffected by the kiss. Like last night, she seemed almost shy about it.

A small puff of breath left her before she said, "So, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hm."

Then, with a small wave, she turned around and walked away from him.

Only then did Itachi allow a small frown to furrow his brows. Whilst his own reaction to the kiss puzzled him, her reaction to it concerned him more. There was something about the way she looked at him which sent a twinge of unease through him. Could it be that he was concerned that she might actually develop some unwanted emotion for him?

He grimaced at the thought. It would certainly be unsettling if that was the case. Still, it was likely that he was mistaken.

After all, Sakura knew that this was simply a mission.

000

* * *

000

The greenery sped by as Sakura traversed the eastern section of the Forest of Death, intent on finding that elusive sensei of hers before he found her. A flash of silver caught her attention shortly afterwards. Reacting without hesitation, she directed a kunai straight in that direction.

Her kunai connected with the target, sending up a cloud of smoke.

A bunshin, she realized with a grimace. And not the first one she had encountered over this training session either.

However, now that she had gone and done that, Kakashi would know exactly where she was. With that thought, she dove away from her current position, landing some distance away behind an outcrop of boulders. It was sufficient to provide her with some cover.

Hidden behind the boulders, she waited for Kakashi to make his move.

She had been out there for more than twenty-four hours, but she could not afford to lose focus, however tired she felt. Rest was not an option, even if she had ran the last five miles to reach this spot. This training session was much more strenuous than the ones they had before, but that was to be expected. After all, Kakashi was trying to get them used to prolonged battles. It would be what they would experience in the real ANBU examinations after all. The real thing would be much longer than this.

It felt as if she had been crouched there forever, but there was still no sign of the Copy-nin. She was beginning to wonder if he had called a halt to the prolonged training session, and she just happened to miss the order. The thought itself was enough to make her clench her hands into tight fists. If Kakashi and the other two had actually stopped without her, she would make them pay.

Which reminded her that she had not had a chance to speak to her dear sensei about his sneaky interference in her life. Of course she had wondered why she had been involved in less ANBU missions lately, but with her new mission as Itachi's love interest, she had not thought much about it. However, ever since her conversation with Itachi a few days ago and after her little conversation with Tsunade yesterday, she had been meaning to speak to Kakashi about it. Unfortunately, it was as if her sensei had a sixth sense about these things, which meant that he had managed to elude her questions so far even though they had been training every day.

She grimaced. Yes, she definitely had to corner the Copy-Nin.

But not now. Right now, she had to concentrate on the training. To be safe, she had to assume that the session was still in progress. Biting her bottom lip, her eyes darted left, right, up and down before she slid out of the cover of the boulders to launch herself high into the trees. Once her feet touched the tree limb, she froze, trying to hold her breath as to not give her position away.

"Sakura-chan!"

The loud holler almost made her lose her balance, and Sakura flattened herself against the nearest tree trunk in reaction. Frowning, she tried to spot the owner of the voice. It might sound like Naruto, but it could be a trick. She would not put it pass Kakashi.

"Sakura-chan! Where are you?"

She spied a flash of blonde hair.

"Ne, Teme. I don't think she is here."

"She is," came the bland reply.

Peeking out from her hiding place, she saw her two teammates standing in the small clearing, looking around for her. They were both almost completely covered with dirt and goodness knew what else, much worse for wear compared to the time she had last seen them.

So, it sounded and looked like Naruto and Sasuke. But how confident was she that it was really them?

There was one way to find out.

Bringing her hands together, she formed a series of seals. In a blink of an eye, her clone appeared beside her. After an exchange of nods, her clone leapt to the side, and then down to the ground, deliberately drawing Naruto's and Sasuke's attention.

"About time!" Naruto exclaimed, beaming widely. "Kakashi-sensei asked us to come get you."

"Get me?" her clone queried, striding towards him.

"Training is over," Sasuke supplied evenly.

"Come on, Sakura-chan. Let's go."

Deciding to make sure that it was really Naruto standing there, the clone quickly delivered a punch at her blonde friend. His eyes immediately widened in alarm.

"What the-"

Her fist connected with his jaw with a dull thud, telling her what she needed to know. If he was a clone, he would have disintegrated on impact.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto wailed, rubbing his bruised flesh while Sasuke smirked at him. "What was that for?"

"A test, Dobe," Sasuke informed him impatiently.

Naruto looked bewildered. "What?"

Satisfied that they were genuinely her friends, Sakura dismissed her clone. When it disappeared in a cloud of smoke, she jumped out of her hiding place to land before them. Despite his bruised jaw, Naruto managed to beam at her.

"So that was just a bunshin, huh?"

Stepping up to him, she reached out to touch his jaw. Ignoring his wince, she directed healing chakra to her hand. "Sorry, Naruto. I didn't know if it was really you or just Kakashi-sensei trying to trick me."

As she healed Naruto, Sasuke said, "He ended the training session."

Why was she not surprised that he had sent her two other teammates to fetch her instead? And the more important question was, just how long ago had the training session ended?

"We've been looking for you for two hours," Naruto told her, unwittingly answering her question.

Two hours? Sakura felt a flare of annoyance. "Where is Kakashi?" she asked.

"At the gates."

She nodded, and then removed her hand from Naruto's healed jaw.

"Let's go then," she said.

When they reached the gates of the Forest of Death, she saw Kakashi leaning against a nearby fence, his Icha Icha book held before his face. At their arrival, the book lowered slightly, revealing a creased eye.

"Yo."

She scowled at him. "How long have you been here?"

An absent look appeared in his eye. "Hm… A while."

"And you couldn't tell me you ended the training session two hours ago?" she ground out.

"I sent Naruto and Sasuke." His eye creased further. "Good training for them, trying to locate you."

She felt like strangling him. He knew exactly where she was because she had given away her position to his bunshin, and yet, he left Naruto and Sasuke to find her in that massive forest.

However, before she could voice her displeasure, Naruto piped in, "Sakura-chan is good. It took us forever to find her."

His words made her turn to him, and her heart melted at the pride on his face. Naruto was truly a gem of a friend. Overcome, she reached over to throw her arms around him, giving him a brief but fierce hug.

Pulling back, she smiled at him. "Thanks, Naruto."

He blinked at her, and then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he returned her smile with a wide grin. Its effect was rather diminished, though, by the large smear of mud across his cheek. Sakura cringed inwardly when she realized that she had just hugged her very muddy friend.

"Erm, I think you need a bath," she suggested.

The blonde brightened. "Oh, Sasuke and I are going to the bath. Do you want to join us?"

Sakura sputtered, hardly believing what she was hearing, while Sasuke muttered an irritated, "Baka."

As she boiled at the thought of Naruto's words, seriously considering inflicting bodily harm on her 'gem of a friend', Kakashi interjected calmly, "That's hardly appropriate, Naruto. And it's best that you go now unless you want this team to end up with one less member."

"But-"

Sasuke grabbed the blonde's arm. "Get moving, Dobe."

It took a mere second for both of them to disappear out of sight, even as Sakura continued to fume. She glared at the spot they had been standing in just moments ago. Sometimes, she really did not know what to do with her teammates. One minute, they made her so happy that she could kiss them, and the next, so mad that she contemplated murder.

Then she realized that Kakashi was still there, and that she had a bone to pick with the Copy-nin.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

His single-eyed gaze slid towards her. "Yes?"

For a moment, she mulled over how she should word the question. In the end, she decided that it was probably best that she went straight to the point. "Have you been arranging our missions to clash with Itachi's?" she asked bluntly.

He blinked once. "Now why would I do such a thing?"

She glowered at him, recognizing his move. "Don't avoid the question, Sensei."

"Was I?" he returned innocently.

Eyes narrowing in annoyance, she ground out, "It's too much of a coincidence that each time Itachi's ANBU squad has a mission, Team Kakashi is busy doing something."

"It is?"

She threw her arms up in exasperation. "You're impossible!"

"Ah, I've heard that before."

"Why am I not surprised," she ground out.

He lifted a hand. "So, training the same time, same place tomorrow?"

She frowned. "Don't change the subject. I want to know why you're interfering."

He pinned his single visible eye on her, but this time, there was a sober light in it. "Maybe I prefer to have a fully functional team member than one who is exhausted most of the time."

"Oh." She blinked as his words sank in. That had not occurred to her. A little cautiously, she asked, "So, do you think I'm underperforming?"

Kakashi glanced away from her. His tone was serious when he next spoke. "You are a medic, Sakura. At the rate you were pushing yourself, how long do you think it will be before you break down?"

"But I was handling it," she defended.

"You may think so."

She immediately bristled, but before she could say anything, he turned around to place a hand on her shoulder, effectively stilling her.

"Think about it, Sakura."

She deflated at his calm tone. Like it or not, she knew that Kakashi had a point. She had been feeling exhausted, practically dead on her feet at times. It was only these recent weeks that she had a bit more time to rest.

And it was all thanks to her sensei.

Feeling a little guilty, she looked up at him. "Sensei-"

"Ah." Kakashi's eyes creased. "I'd better go check on the boys. Make sure they don't accidentally end up too close to the women's bath. You better go home to catch some sleep. You look horrible."

Before she could even blink, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She was left gaping at the spot where he had been standing just a second ago, feeling rather insulted by his words.

Then, understanding his reaction, a small smile crossed her lips. Kakashi was being Kakashi. Open display of emotions was not his thing.

With an inward shrug, she began to walk away from the forested training area. It was not long before she reached the centre of Konoha.

As she walked under the late afternoon sun, staring at the shops and restaurants, she belatedly recalled that she had missed her lunch date with Itachi. Groaning inwardly, she glanced at the restaurant where they were supposed to meet a few hours ago, unsurprised to find that he was not there. He had probably waited five minutes before he left to do his own things.

Sakura sighed heavily. She would just have to apologize to him when she next saw him. At the moment, she was too tired to track him down.

As she walked home, it occurred to her that if this had happened months ago, she would probably force herself to find him, no matter how tired she was. But over the last few weeks, she had grown comfortable with Itachi and had come to realize that he was just as human as the rest of them, flaws and all.

She grinned when she recalled the barely veiled expression of surprise on his face when she had initiated that kiss a few days ago. Sure it had not been easy for her to do it, but to know that Itachi was just as discomfited made it seem okay. In fact, their next few goodbye kisses had been instigated by her as well. She wondered if she should be concerned that it was growing increasingly easy to kiss the stoic Uchiha.

Giving herself an inward shake, she chuckled under her breath. She was over-thinking things. It was just a mission, and if anything was growing easier, she should be glad about it.

Right?

000

* * *

000

They had settled into a routine about a week ago. Provided that they were both in Konoha, every day after her morning training session with her team, they would meet and then find a place to eat. They had to keep up the appearance of being close, after all.

What surprised him most was that it was a 'comfortable' routine. Little by little, she had stopped attempting to force him to converse, while he remained content to simply listen to her as they ate lunch and sipped tea.

However, she had failed to turn up yesterday.

He had not waited longer than fifteen minutes, after which, he had simply continued with his day until the afternoon. It was then that he had the opportunity to check on her whereabouts. The duty roster had told Itachi that she was still in Konoha, therefore he concluded that she must be training still.

But this noon, he found himself waiting for the kunoichi once again.

This time, he decided that her absence was not to be tolerated. After a quarter of an hour, Itachi proceeded to walk to her house. The chakra signature from within told him that she was at home. Irked by the fact that she had made him wait for the second time in a row, he simply launched himself upwards, and then through her window to land not far from her bed.

She was still sleeping.

Her lips were slightly parted and her cheek squashed against her pillow. In the heat, she must have attempted to dislodge the covers, for her long bare legs were exposed. The covers were bunched up around her hips and her chest, revealing that she wore nothing but shorts and what looked like a tank top. He had seen her in similar positions before, but not so blatantly uncovered. However, this time, her slender, well-toned limbs brought forth certain images that he should not entertain.

Deciding that was rather inappropriate for him to regard her in such a manner, he took another step towards her, deliberately making his footfall heavier.

This time, she stirred, rolling around to land on her back. The cover followed her move, and his eyes were involuntarily drawn to the bare skin of her stomach exposed between her shorts and her top. The stray thought that such a sight would certainly be a familiar one to him had he been truly courting her came to mind.

He frowned inwardly when he realized what he was doing. Averting his eyes from her, he pinned his gaze to one of the pictures sitting on her bedside table before he called out.

"Sakura."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her shift, but he kept his eyes fixed to the picture of her team when they were still genin. Perhaps she would cover herself better when she realized he was there.

"Itachi?"

His name came more naturally to her now, he noted. As did hers with him. Slowly, he turned in time to see her sitting up, allowing the covers to bunch around her hips, revealing a small tank top. Slightly perturbed that she had seen no need to shield her body from his view, he remained silent.

She blinked at him. "What are you doing here?"

It was not as if he had not seen her dressed thus before. Therefore, it was rather unsettling just how he was paying such undue attention to the material fitted so snugly around her. She seemed unaware of his perusal, however. Instead, she lifted her arms in a stretch and yawned widely.

Once again, Itachi averted his eyes, his lips thinning as he did so. Had Sakura been someone else, he would have suspected her of attempting to seduce him. However, he knew her well enough to be certain that those actions of hers had not been deliberate.

"I'm sure you didn't just wake me up for nothing," she remarked as she left her bed, sounding a little puzzled.

Realizing that he had not responded to her question, he murmured, "You did not turn up yesterday."

She stilled, and then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! I'm sorry, I should have left you a message or something." Looking guilty, she added, "We were training for the ANBU entrance exams, and Kakashi-sensei decided to do a test on our stamina. What time is it now?"

"Almost one."

She groaned out loud, smacking her head with her palm. "I overslept."

He watched as she strode to her cupboard, seemingly uncaring that he was still in the room. Once she pulled out her clothes, she turned to give him a crooked smile.

"The training was a special one, so it won't happen again. We lasted more than twenty-four hours. Not bad, huh?"

"Hm." Twenty-four hours certainly did not cover the duration of the examination, but it was a reasonable start. Still, the training regime seemed to have a fundamental flaw.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously.

He raised a questioning brow.

"You're thinking something about what I just told you. What is it?"

Deciding that there was no harm in telling her, he replied, "Training with your own team will not be sufficient."

Her brows furrowed. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You are familiar with the skills within your team, and therefore able to anticipate your teammates' strategies and moves. In the examination, your opponent will be someone unfamiliar."

"I see," she mumbled thoughtfully. "So I should really train with others."

"Hm."

It occurred to him then that perhaps he should offer to assist her in her training. After all, it would be expected if their 'relationship' was a real one, was it not? Although they had been working together in the same squad, they had not trained together as such. Therefore, she had not fought him directly.

"Maybe I should ask Neji to help," she mused thoughtfully. "He's ANBU, after all."

At the mention of the Hyuuga, the conversation he had with Shisui several weeks ago came back to him. As Sakura's love interest, his appropriate response would be to disallow such a thing. He thought that such a response was a little excessive, but to Itachi's surprise, he found that he was not exactly averse to it. In fact, he found himself a little displeased by the notion of Sakura training with the Hyuuga.

"No."

She swung towards him, a baffled look on her face. "What do you mean, no? I thought you just said-"

"You will train with me."

Her eyes rounded. "You?" she squeaked.

"Hm."

She simply stared at him wordlessly. And then, shaking her head as if to clear it, she asked, "What about Naruto and Sasuke?"

The notion of assisting Naruto and Sasuke was not as appealing. "Hatake Kakashi will be offended if I did so."

"What's the difference? You'd be helping me anyway."

"It is expected, considering our relationship," he pointed out. "Your teammates are a different matter."

"You are Sasuke's brother."

He raised a brow at her. "And thus far, I have never assisted him in such a manner."

A puzzled expression adorned her face. "That's just strange. Why not?"

"It was not necessary."

Huffing in exasperation, she planted her hands on her hips. "Fine. If you say so." Then she took on a contemplative look. "You know, I'm more than happy to have your help for obvious reasons. But I'm not sure it is a good idea to train with you instead of my own team. Naruto and the rest are already not too keen on how much time I'm spending with you."

"You have a mission to complete," he informed her evenly.

She waved a hand around. "I know. The mission requires us to spend lots of time together. But can't we do this outside Kakashi-sensei's training time?"

Deciding that it did not matter to him one way or another, Itachi nodded. "Very well." Then, inclining his head at the clothes held in her hand, he said, "Dress."

Clutching her clothes to her chest, she gestured at the bedroom door. "I will, once you allow me some privacy," she responded with a small tilt at the corner of her lips.

Without another word, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. It did not take her long to change, and soon afterwards, she joined him in the living room. When he glanced at her, he noted that she had chosen civilian clothing today.

"Shall we leave?" she asked, stepping towards the door.

"Hm."

They both walked out of the apartment. Once she locked the door, Sakura turned and slid an arm into the crook of his elbow, smiling as she did so. The warmth of her arm against his was comfortable as they walked down the street. She chattered on about inconsequential things, but he only half listened. Instead, there was a single thought that insisted on making itself known.

It told him that her presence by his side felt disturbingly natural.

000

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000

A/N: This is a bit of a transitional chapter, I know. Next up will be missions and actions. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the previous chapter, and for your kind wishes re my baby. He is just short of 7 weeks old today, and I'm getting the hang of functioning with not much sleep! Still, he leaves me very little time to write. So I can't say when the next chapter is coming out. Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 8**

Seated on a bench at the riverbank, Sakura bit into her still-warm Okonomiyaki. A small sigh of appreciation left her lips as she absorbed the flavors. She had not had it for several weeks now, but it was as good as she remembered.

Only this time, her lunch companion was Itachi, instead of Naruto and Sasuke.

Slanting a glance to the side, she watched him take a mouthful of his food. As with everything he did, his movements were precise. Not a single crumb fell on his clothes and not a single expression passed his face as he chewed. Which was kind of frustrating, because she wanted to know if he liked it or not. He had claimed not to have tried it after all.

"So? What do you think?" she asked, gesturing at his portion of Okonomiyaki.

His onyx gaze slid towards her. "It is fine."

Her brows rose at the blandness of his response. "Fine? Does that mean you like it?"

"Hm."

This time, she gave him a dry look. "I'll take that as a yes."

Unsurprisingly, he did not provide her with a confirmation. Instead, he took another bite of his food. Even the way he chewed seemed measured and deliberate, Sakura thought with a small amount of amusement. She wondered if he ever allowed himself to relax and have fun. Perhaps, later in the mission when she managed to summon the nerve, she would suggest something of that sort to him. As comfortable as she was with him nowadays, there was still something about him which prevented her from being truly open.

In the meantime, it was best to stick to safe topics. Like his earlier, unexpected offer.

"What do you have in mind for the training?" she asked. "Kakashi-sensei is already putting us through quite a lot."

"So it seems."

His cryptic words made her brows furrow in confusion, especially since she had been telling him about her training. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying that he's missing something? That what we're going through now is not enough?"

"There is something else you could do," he remarked evenly.

"What is missing then?"

"Genjutsu."

Her eyes rounded. "What do you mean, genjutsu? That's not really my sort of technique."

"Despite your current taijutsu and ninjutsu skills, you are the genjutsu type," Itachi informed her in his usual smooth tones. "Have you not been told?"

"Kakashi-sensei said something about it a while ago. But I never really took it seriously." She frowned. "Besides, I never had any real training in it."

He nodded once. "It could be easily rectified."

Comprehension dawned, and slowly, a grin made its way across her face. "And who best to learn genjutsu from you, right?"

He gave her an unreadable look.

As her excitement grew, she went on, "That would be great, actually. I don't know how good I'm going to be at it, but I'm more than happy to try if you'd help me."

"To understand how it works, it is best that you experienced it."

Her eyes widened. "Well, apart from the ones Kakashi used on me during training, I can't say that I've been subjected to it much."

The meaningful light in his eyes told her what he intended, and she bit her lips. Itachi might be a very well rounded shinobi in terms of skills, but he was a specialist in genjutsu. From what she had seen and heard, some of the after-effects suffered by his victims were not pretty. It was the result of his Sharingan.

But if she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to broaden her skill-set, she would have to swallow her trepidation and let him do what was necessary. Quickly finishing the last of her food, she stood up and stared down at him.

"Alright. Just get it over with," she said with a deep inhalation of breath. "Do your Sharingan thing."

He quirked his brow as he straightened. "For now, I have no intention of doing so."

"But I thought-"

"It is more likely that you will be subjected to normal genjutsu instead of a doujutsu-based technique," he pointed out. After a pause, he added, "And yet, there is a possibility that your opponent is an Uchiha."

She hoped not. "How many Uchihas are there in ANBU?"

It was hardly surprising that he did not respond to her query. Instead, he announced, "We will begin with the normal genjutsu."

It was slight, almost imperceptible, but she felt the change. With her level of chakra control, she was able to detect the slight buzz in her surrounding, something that gave away the fact that an illusion technique was being cast upon her.

Black crows appeared out of nowhere, flying over and around her as the sky behind them darkened into a purplish hue. Their wings flapped madly, blocking out the light and their beady eyes seemed to bore into hers as they crowded closer and closer. She felt herself chill at the malevolence in their stares and the urge to run was almost overwhelming.

Then, all at once, the crows swooped down towards her.

It was only an illusion, she stressed to herself, even though her body began to tense in reaction to the danger. She closed her eyes to block the false images.

"K-kai!"

Her voice came out shaky, and even without looking, she knew that it had not worked. Not planning to give up so soon, she gathered her chakra once again and focused.

"Kai!"

Then she found herself back by the riverside, standing opposite a watchful Itachi. Elation coursed through her when she realized that she had broken out of his technique. If he was surprised that she had broken away from the illusion, he showed no signs of it. Instead, there was a contemplative look on his face.

"That was not too bad, was it?" she remarked smugly.

"Hm."

"So, that's it?"

There was a brief pause before he responded, "No."

Her heart sank a little. "That was just a low-ranking technique, huh?"

"B-rank," he informed her evenly. "Clearly, you require no further training in dispelling such techniques."

"Okay," she responded carefully. "Then we're done?"

"Do you wish to continue?"

She could guess what was coming next. Knowing that she was not quite ready to subject herself to the Sharingan, she replied, "Let's save it for next time."

He simply nodded.

She gestured up the river. "Up for a stroll?"

He said nothing, but simply fell into step beside her when she began to walk along the river. They simply strolled side by side in companionable silence. It occurred to her that it was almost unbelievable just how comfortable she was, simply walking with Itachi. Strange how the interaction between two people could change so much just because of one little mission.

"This river goes through the Uchiha compound, doesn't it?" she asked curiously when she spotted the Uchiha crest on one of the boundary walls. This was the Nakano River, if she recalled correctly.

"Yes."

Eyeing the river, she commented, "I used to wonder why all Uchihas stay in the same place. I still do, actually." She could not imagine living in a place surrounded by so many blood relatives, not that she had any to speak of right now. Turning to Itachi, she found him staring at her with his usual unreadable expression. "Do you ever think of moving out of the compound?"

"No," came his immediate response.

Stopping abruptly, she asked, "Why not?"

He took on a thoughtful look. "It is not necessary."

Not really understanding him, her brows furrowed. "What about privacy? I don't know you very well, but I would say that you're someone who values your privacy. Living like that must mean that everything you do is scrutinized by the rest of your clan," she pointed out.

"Perhaps," he responded enigmatically.

Used to these responses of his, she simply shrugged. "Well, I don't think I can stand it."

He simply continued to walk without responding, and she shook her head in mild exasperation before she followed him.

It was a nice day to go for a stroll, she thought as she inhaled deeply. The sun was out, but the cool breeze stopped it from being too hot. She could recall a similar day just a few months ago when she had been walking along this river with Naruto and Sasuke, and they had ended up having an impromptu splashing session. Naruto had gotten into it with a gusto, and she could tell that even Sasuke had enjoyed the playful frolic. The memory of it brought a smile to her lips.

"Is that why you declined the Hyuuga's proposal?"

Itachi's unexpected question snapped her out of her reverie, and she shot him a startled glance.

"What?"

"You mentioned that you couldn't stand living in such a manner, in a clan compound," he clarified.

She blinked as her steps slowed to a halt. It was rare that he voiced any interest in her affairs, but this time, he was staring at her expectantly, obviously waiting for an answer. She did not know what to make of it and it took her a few moments to digest his question. And when she did, she averted her gaze from him to stare at a leaf floating down the river. The truth about her and Neji was not that simple.

"I don't think I fit the profile of an obedient Hyuuga wife, do you?"

She could almost swear that she saw amusement flashing across his eyes just before he said, "No."

"Then I guess that sort of answers your question, huh?"

"Hm."

"Anyway, it happened a long time ago." It was not that long, but that was beside the point. Both her and Neji had agreed to keep things to themselves. Deciding to change the topic, she asked, "So, any missions coming up?"

Itachi obviously knew what she was trying to do. He was too sharp to miss something like that. However, he allowed her to steer the topic away from Neji, much to her relief.

"I will leave in two days," he announced.

"Oh, okay. Just as well, I guess, since I'm leaving on one tomorrow." Remembering something, she went on with a scowl, "I spoke to Kakashi about his interference, but I got nowhere."

"It is to be expected."

She let out an exasperated huff. "He's annoying, sometimes."

"He acts in the best interest of his team," Itachi pointed out evenly.

"I should have guessed that you'd say that," she muttered dryly. "If it really bothers him so much, he could just talk to me about it." When Itachi did not respond, she slanted a glance at him to find him wearing a slightly amused look. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"If he orders you to cease the ANBU missions, will you do so?" he queried.

She scowled. "I guess not," she muttered.

"He simply took the most efficient course."

"Whose side are you on anyway?" she shot at him indignantly, but without real heat in her words. "I happen to dislike having others making my decisions for me. I like make my own choices, you know. You wouldn't like people to run your life for you, would you?"

He simply raised a brow at her and then continued walking without making any further comment. However, much to her surprise, she saw something odd flash across his face just before he turned away.

It looked almost like uncertainty.

000

* * *

000

Speeding silently through the forest, Itachi led his ANBU squad on the return journey back to Konoha after one of their missions.

The task had been a simple one. It had taken them the allocated two days to break into the external archive in the Rock Country and retrieve the box of scrolls. Although it was sealed, Itachi could guess that it contained something that could potentially pose a danger to Konoha, seeing that the Hokage had ordered him to use whatever means to retrieve it.

Suddenly, he sensed the presence of a familiar chakra, causing him to pause momentarily. It was faint, telling him that the owner was quite a distance from them, but the identity was unmistakable.

Suspicion instantly shot through Itachi, and his brow furrowed. It was a couple of hours past midnight. What was Shisui doing out so late? As far as he knew, as a member of the Konoha police force, Shisui had no missions outside the village. Furthermore, no one was supposed to be outside the village walls without permission. Shisui's behavior was nothing short of suspicious. It left him with no choice but to investigate what was happening.

"Shiranui. Aburame," he called out quietly.

The two of them instantly halted, turning to him.

"Return to Konoha first," he instructed.

"Eh? What's going on?" Genma asked, pushing up his mask to reveal a puzzled look.

Itachi simply handed him a package, the result of their successful mission. "The Godaime will be expecting this."

There was a brief moment of hesitation, and then Genma nodded. "We'll get it to her."

With no further delays, he and Shino sped in the direction of Konoha while Itachi remained unmoving.

He waited until his two squad members were out of range before he turned in the direction where he had detected Shisui's presence earlier. What he might encounter when he caught up with the other Uchiha may be unpleasant, but this had to be done.

Activating his Sharingan, Itachi began tracking his target. Streaking through the trees swiftly, his feet barely skimming the branches, it was not long before he caught up with Shisui. And when he did, Itachi unmasked his presence and dropped to the ground, landing on his feet. Up ahead was the vertical face of a cliff, and beneath it stood the other Uchiha.

Shisui stopped and then turned around, displaying no sign of surprise at his sudden appearance. Itachi walked towards him until they came face to face. It was then that he noticed that there was a slightly odd light in Shisui's eyes, though in the darkness, Itachi could not be certain what it meant.

"Shisui."

"Itachi."

"It's late. Where have you been?" he asked evenly.

"Just taking a walk," Shisui replied.

Itachi glanced in the direction he had just appeared from. It was the forest to the east of Konoha, not somewhere particularly pleasant to be taking a leisurely stroll in the middle of the night. Shisui's behavior was nothing short of suspicious, especially considering that he did not appear very talkative. That, in itself, was strange.

"Alone?" he pressed.

Shisui nodded. "What about you?"

"Mission," Itachi replied guardedly.

"It's a good night for a stroll," Shisui went on. "Isn't it?"

This conversation was decidedly abnormal. Itachi attempted to see pass Shisui's façade, but the other Uchiha was giving away nothing. That, in itself, was strange, for Shisui was one of the more expressive individuals Itachi knew.

"You are aware that you require permission to be out of the village," he pointed out.

Shisui's bland expression did not change. "Of course."

It did not tell Itachi whether or not Shisui actually had permission. But the manner in which Shisui responded was vague and uninformative enough for Itachi to be certain that something was wrong. Was he being watched? Was that why Shisui was behaving so detached? If that was the case, then by whom?

"Well, I'm heading back in now," Shisui declared mildly. "You coming?"

"Later."

Shisui nodded. "Catch you around sometime then."

Itachi kept his eyes on the other Uchiha's departing figure. Shisui's behavior was clearly suspicious enough to warrant a report to the Hokage. Still, knowing how much the clan valued the protection of its own members, Itachi hesitated at the thought of such an action. Besides, he had another reason to keep this incident away from the knowledge of others.

If there was a threat against Konoha, the source had to be eliminated. Even if Shisui was involved in it, Itachi doubted that he was the one at the top. Reporting Shisui meant that word would come out that Konoha was growing increasingly wary of something untoward. Things like this had a tendency to spread, no matter how careful one was. It would only result in the source of the threat going further underground, which was something Itachi wished to avoid.

Therefore, in the meantime, he would continue to observe.

000

* * *

000

The Yamanaka flower shop was one of the brightest places along this particular street in Konoha. It was hardly surprising, considering the numerous colorful flowers and plants gracing the shop windows and around the entrance.

Walking through the wide open door, Sakura called out, "Ino!"

Her blonde friend poked her head out from behind the counter, and then immediately straightened at the sight of her. "About time!" she exclaimed as she took off her apron and tossed it on the counter, revealing a blue sundress underneath.

"About time? I'm not even late, Pig," Sakura retorted with a grin.

Ino only huffed at her. Then, turning to the back of the shop, she yelled, "Okaa-san! I'm heading out now."

Her mother walked out with a bunch of tulips in her hands. "Alright. Have fun."

In moments, both of them were walking along the street, heading towards the shopping district. It had been a while since she and Ino had done this, but they could never seem to find a time when they were both free at the same time. Missions and other stuff seemed to take up most of their time, making it difficult to arrange something.

"I can't believe how hard it is to get hold of you nowadays, Forehead," Ino grumbled as they walked into a clothes shop. "Where have you been?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura replied, "Some of us are busy."

Ino smirked. "Your ANBU captain taking up all your time?"

"We ARE in a relationship," Sakura pointed out. "Also, I have to train for the exams. So between everything, time is a little limited."

Ino nudged her side. "So how are things going with the Uchiha? I've seen you two walking around Konoha quite a lot over the last month or so."

"Things are fine," she replied vaguely.

Things were more than fine, actually. After the initial awkwardness and occasional social hiccups, Itachi was actually quite nice to be with. There was even the occasional display of emotion on his part, albeit expertly veiled, which told her that Itachi was not as cold and emotionless as he had appeared. Every time she saw a hint of it, it reminded her that he was kind of like all of them, not just a shinobi. It was not something that she had expected at the commencement of this mission, but she was not complaining.

"Looks like it's getting serious," Ino fished, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Maybe."

Ino's eyes rounded immediately. "Who would have thought, huh? You, Forehead, with the Uchiha heir."

"Yeah," Sakura muttered as she inspected a red top on the display rack.

"I didn't think it would last, you know. But the two of you seem to be getting closer by the day," Ino pointed out as she peered critically at the red top. "Don't you think you have enough of those red ones?"

Sakura gave her an impatient look. "So? I happen to like them."

"It's a wonder your man is not complaining yet," Ino remarked dryly.

"Itachi is not that shallow."

Even as she said it, Sakura could not help but wonder what Itachi thought of her appearance. It was an odd thing to think, because she should not care about it one way or another. This thing with Itachi was a mission, and if he deemed it necessary, he could order her to dress in whatever way he wished. Did the fact that he did nothing of that sort mean that he found her acceptable, or that he was simply not bothered by it?

A wave of a hand tore her out of her musings, and Sakura blinked. Opposite her, Ino was wearing a knowing smirk.

"You got that lovesick look on your face, Forehead," she taunted.

Replacing the red top back on the display rack, Sakura bristled. "What are you talking about?"

"Thinking about your captain, huh?" Ino went on with a chuckle. "So, how far?"

"How far?" Sakura echoed, not understanding.

An impatient sound left the blonde girl as they walked out of the shop. "You slept together yet?" she asked bluntly just as they stepped onto the street.

"INO!" Sakura hissed, halting on the sidewalk, darting anxious glances around them at the villagers milling around. The last thing she needed was that sort of gossip about her spreading all over Konoha. "Can you say that a little louder? Maybe someone in Suna missed that."

Ino chuckled. "Just answer the question."

"That's private, Pig," she ground out. "I don't ask you about who you slept with, do I?"

"But I tell you anyway. So to be fair…" Ino left it hanging, raising an expectant brow.

Deciding that it was best to stick to the truth as much as possible, Sakura scowled at her. "We're taking it slow."

An incredulous expression made it to Ino's face. "Slow? You got such a sexy catch of a boyfriend and you're taking it SLOW? What's the matter with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me!" Sakura exclaimed heatedly, disliking the direction of the conversation. Talking about Itachi in these terms made her uncomfortable. It made her think about how it could be. Not that it would ever happen.

Planting her hands on her hips, Ino gave her a disapproving look. "It's you, isn't it? You're making him wait."

"No," Sakura groaned out loud, cupping her face in her palms. This was simply a damned mission, she wanted to yell. If she was really going out with Itachi, she was certain that something physical apart from their chaste kisses would have happened by now.

When the full implication of her thought hit her, Sakura froze.

She could not be thinking about Itachi like this at all, let alone imagining what would happen if this was not a mission. What the hell was she thinking? It was a MISSION, a JOB.

Still, it was clear what was happening to her. She was getting in too deep, and she had to take a step back to refocus. It would not do for her to get too involved in this whole thing and it frustrated her to no end that she could not control her wayward thoughts.

"You look scared."

"Huh?" Sakura snapped out of her thoughts once again, blinking at Ino. Then when her friend's words registered, her eyes narrowed irritably. "What do you mean, scared?"

Ino repeated mockingly, "Scared, like you just realized something you didn't like." Leaning forward, she asked in a conspiratorial tone, "Is it something about Itachi? Did he do something to you?"

"What?" Sakura exclaimed in disbelief. Ino had some weird imagination. "I don't know what you're thinking, but whatever it is, you're wrong."

Whatever Ino was about to say next was stalled by the approach of a now-familiar aura. Thanking her stars for the interruption, Sakura turned away from her blonde friend to watch Itachi walking towards them.

"Speak of the devil," Ino muttered under her breath.

Sakura shot Ino a warning glance just before Itachi came up to them. Pasting a smile on her face, she greeted cheerfully, "Hi, Itachi."

"Sakura," he returned quietly. He inclined his head briefly in Ino's direction before shifting his attention back to her.

Giving Ino a pointed look, Sakura said, "Ino, can you give us a minute?"

The look on the blonde's face was too innocent to be true. "Sure," she assented mildly.

Sakura waited until Ino was a safe distance away before she turned back to Itachi. But she kept in mind that her blonde friend would try to listen in anyway. "Itachi? What's the matter?"

"I will be away from Konoha for several days."

"Mission?" she asked.

He nodded. "ANBU."

Knowing that the details were confidential, Sakura did not bother asking further. "Good luck with the mission."

"I will see you when I return."

"Okay."

Then she saw a familiar flicker in his onyx orbs. She could tell what was to come by now. As she had expected, he leaned forward, bringing them close together. She felt a brush of warm breath against her cheek, and then he kissed her.

And once again, it was at the corner of her lips.

The twinge of frustration she felt was unexpected. But before she could think upon her reaction further, she heard a soft sigh of exasperation nearby. Realizing Ino was still there and watching, she pulled back slightly and glanced up. Her eyes met Itachi's, and she saw that he noticed the same thing.

"Ino is watching," she murmured.

"Hm."

His gaze shifted from her eyes down to her lips, and suddenly, an idea struck her. Her heart rate picked up as she considered the sanity of what she was about to do. She did not think that Itachi would object. It was for the good of the mission, after all. Besides, she did not have to go all the way. From where Ino was standing, she would not be able to tell the difference anyway.

Before she could reconsider, Sakura went up on tiptoes. With her hands resting against Itachi's chest, she pressed her lips against his, instantly feeling a sharp intake of breath from his soft lips as his entire body tensed. Their breath mingled and the intimacy sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.

When she felt the unexpected urge to further the kiss, an alarm blared through her mind. It brought back what she had thought of earlier, that she was getting way too involved in this whole thing.

Maybe it was about time to end this.

Just as she was about to pull back, she felt him shift. Before she could make sense of what was happening, he moved closer. Their eyes clashed, onyx against emerald.

This time, it was her who froze as he opened his mouth to capture her lips fully. Her mind went blank at the unexpected, but not unpleasant sensation. A gasp escaped her as he sucked lightly on her bottom lip, sending a rush of heat though her.

Then abruptly, Itachi released her, taking a step back.

Sakura inhaled sharply. She felt almost giddy with nerves and her legs seemed a little unsteady. It was hard to think. It took her a while to gather her thoughts, and when she had done so, she glanced up to gauge his reaction. Itachi's onyx eyes flickered and there was a flash of something she had not seen before in those orbs before they returned to their usual impassive state.

Without another word, he inclined his head and walked past her, leaving her standing there, rooted to the spot.

She blinked as her mind cleared further. What had just happened back there? Her intention was to make it LOOK like a proper liplock, nothing else. She had initiated the kiss, but she had not expected Itachi, of all people, to return it AND take it one step further. It had not been necessary for him to do such a thing because no one around them would be able to tell the difference.

So why had he done it?

A small voice in her head pointed out that such a thought had crossed her mind earlier, making her frown inwardly. Well, she was a healthy woman, wasn't she? It was hardly surprising that something like that occurred to her, that she wanted to deepen the physical intimacy. It was simply a biological response.

Could that be why Itachi had responded as he had done? He was not the unfeeling, inhuman shinobi that she had once thought he was, after all. So it stood to reason that he would react the same way any healthy male would. And how many of them would reject a good excuse to deepen a kiss?

"Sakura? Forehead?"

She jolted as Ino's voice pierced her thoughts. Dragging her eyes away from some random spot in the distance, she looked straight at her blonde friend. Ino was giving her a raised-eyebrow look. Conscious that she might be acting a little odd, Sakura quickly pushed away all her confusing feelings about Itachi to the back of her mind. She had to appear as if the kiss was no big deal.

"I heard you, Ino."

Ino glanced in the direction Itachi had disappeared to. "That was one hot kiss," she teased.

No blushing, Sakura told herself sternly. "Well, he's going away for a while."

"Oh, mission, is it?"

Sakura nodded. Itachi would not be around for a few days. This meant that her lunch hour would be free for the next few days. No more pretending to be his date until he returned. However, instead of feeling liberated at the thought, she felt strangely bereft.

"Missing him already?"

She was about to deny it, and then realized what she was about to do. As his love interest, she was SUPPOSED to miss him. However, what she was thinking just seconds ago made her wonder if she actually, genuinely missed him already. Why else would she feel as if she was a bit lost without their lunch dates? The whole thing was so confusing.

Keeping her voice even, she murmured, "Well, you can't expect me not to miss him, right?"

"I suppose," Ino muttered, looking thoughtful. "Listen, Forehead. I'm just going to say this once."

"What?"

Wearing a serious look, Ino said, "I hope things work out between you two. I mean, this is the Uchiha heir we're talking about. His clan will have certain expectations."

Sakura grimaced. "Yeah, I know."

Ino's brows furrowed slightly. "Just take care, alright?"

Touched at her friend's concern, Sakura cracked a smile at her. "Don't worry, Ino. I'll handle it."

It was only a mission, after all.

000

* * *

000

They had been there for one day, and Itachi had a feeling that they would remain there for a considerable amount of time. It seemed that once again, the information given to them was not fully accurate. Their target, a shinobi from the Hidden Village of Mist, was supposed to travel via this route a while ago, but there had been no signs of him.

"It has been a while," Shino murmured.

Genma turned his head side to side, cricking his neck. "Damned informant must have messed up the intel." Turning to him, he asked, "So, Taishou, what's next?"

"We wait."

The sigh which left Genma told of his impatience, but he did not complain. For the next few hours, they continued to watch the dirt-path. Then Genma broke the silence again.

"It is just me, or when Sakura is around, time seems to pass faster on jobs like this?"

"Your imagination," Shino responded dryly.

Genma's comment instantly brought to mind what had happened the last time he saw her. Keeping his eyes fixed onto the deserted dirt-path, Itachi allowed himself to think about it for the first time since it had happened yesterday.

It was an understatement to say that he had been surprised by her action. Even so, he could understand why she had done so. Her close friend had been there watching them, after all. Therefore, it had been necessary to display a more convincing level of intimacy.

What surprised him more was his own reaction to it. What he had done was not necessary for the mission, and yet, he had done it.

Till now, he could still recall just how silky her lips had felt under his and the tingling sensation of their mingled breaths. His previous experience with women was nothing like this. Granted, his involvement with them had been the direct result of the Hokage's orders while he had been deployed on mission. Still, he should have had the same responses, should he not?

His reaction to Sakura puzzled him. This was not what he had expected when he had first commissioned the job. He had not expected to be so… drawn in, let alone understand how it had turned out this way.

"I still can't believe that you snagged Sakura," Genma complained good-naturedly. "When did it even begin?"

When he made no move to respond, the senbon user chuckled. "Some people wonders if that's why you always chose to have her as our medic. We barely ever have anyone else on this team, even when she was not available."

"You know that could not be true," Shino interjected blandly. "Sakura is here on her own merit."

"Yeah, but that's because I know. Some people think differently."

Itachi frowned inwardly. The notion that he had selected Sakura to join their team for such a ridiculous reason did not sit well with him. She had been selected purely for her skills and her usefulness to the squad, and perhaps also because her presence did not annoy him. To assume otherwise was foolish.

"So, doesn't it bother you?" Genma asked him directly. "The things people say?"

"They may say what they wish," he replied evenly. It was pointless to take into consideration the opinions of those who were not involved in the situation.

"I guess so long as your clan approves, that's enough, huh?" Genma remarked, his senbon bobbing up and down as he grinned.

Had this been a true real courtship, then he supposed what Genma had said was valid. Ever since the news had broken out that he and Sakura were seeing each other, the clan's persistence had eased somewhat. Still, it had not stopped them from asking him when they should begin the wedding preparations.

The attempts of the clan to control him had always irked him, and yet, he knew that so long as he remained the heir, their interest in him would not subside. This brought back the conversation he had with Sakura several days ago about living in the compound.

He had not responded to her query about living outside the compound because he was uncertain how he should respond. In truth, he had never considered leaving, even though at times, he felt stifled within its walls. Her question made him wonder why he should remain, apart from his obligation as the Uchiha heir. Would he leave if not for the fact that his father expected him to head the clan in the future? What if he refused to accept the position? After all, he had not asked for it. Would the responsibility fall to Sasuke then? Was that something he wished upon his little brother?

Before he could analyze those questions in his mind, the sound of subtle footsteps in the distance broke his train of thought. Instantly shifting his focus on to the mission, Itachi tensed. It seemed that their target finally had decided to turn up.

"Be prepared," he murmured to his other two teammates.

As he received their whispered acknowledgement, Itachi could not help but wonder how Sakura had managed to make him question his own life in the short time he allowed her to be close to him.

000

* * *

000

Sakura jolted out of bed suddenly.

The knock came again and this time, she swung her legs out of bed, a frown marring her brows. Yanking a cloak from the nearby rack, she threw it on before she went to the door. The chakra signature of the person outside told her that it was one of the younger chuunins working in the Hokage Tower, and his presence made her wonder anxiously what had gone wrong.

"Yes?" she called out.

"Sakura-san?"

"What is it?" she asked as she opened the door.

The chuunin standing outside the door looked worried. "The Godaime wants you at the hospital now. There's an emergency."

An emergency? Sakura's eyes widened. "I'll be out in a minute."

It did not take her long to get dressed. Then, wide awake at the thought of what disaster might be awaiting her at the hospital, she went with the chuunin. Along the way, she tried to find out what was happening, but to her frustration, the chuunin was not told the specifics of the emergency.

When she finally arrived at the hospital, chaos greeted her. There, the chuunin left her to return to the Hokage Tower.

Grabbing one of the frantic trainee medics by the arm, Sakura asked, "What's the emergency, Yuko?"

"Oh, Sakura-sempai!" The trainee exclaimed as relief washed over her features. "Hokage-sama wants you in Operating Room 2. Two teams returned and all of them are infected with something. I have to go deliver this sample for analysis," she gushed out, holding a full vial of something.

Knowing that that was probably all the information she could get out of Yuko, Sakura nodded and wasted no time in rushing to the hospital wing housing the operating rooms. Once she reached Operating Room 2, she could hear Tsunade's terse voice filtering out of the door.

Opening the door, she slid in quietly so that she did not disturb anything just in case there was a delicate operation going on. There were several medics around the room, working under Tsunade's command, each carrying out various tasks with grim expressions on their faces.

The moment Sakura closed the door behind her, the Hokage turned to her. "Get over here, Sakura."

When she got closer, she could see four shinobi, all older than her, laid out in a circle within the jutsu marks on the floor. She recognized the markings as those normally used for diagnosis. A glance at her frowning shishou told her the answer to the question in her mind.

"We don't know what's wrong with them?" she asked anxiously.

The Godaime shook her head. "It appears to be some sort of poison. Whatever it is, it is spreading out from their chakra network, and heading quickly towards their vital organs. It is absorbed quickly, so the poison extraction technique is not very effective."

Sakura studied the result of the diagnosis worriedly. "It is disabling the chakra, sort of dissipating the chakra into thin air."

"Which means that shinobi is the main target of this poison." Tsunade's eyes hardened. "The question is, are WE the intended target for whatever this is. Or did the two teams pick this up by accident."

"Whoever it is, they must have quite some skills to do this."

"Yes." Releasing a heavy breath, Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shikamaru is working out the possible scenarios at the moment. And Shizune is dealing with the other team which came back with the same thing. All we have to do now is to keep them alive."

Sakura nodded. "What can I do, Shishou?"

"I've extracted some of the poison from them." Tsunade gestured at another two unconscious shinobi nearby. "Do the same for these two and then get someone to analyze the composition. We need to find out more about it. Once you're done, come to my office."

"Yes, Shishou."

Without further ado, Sakura went to work on the patients. She knelt down and brought forth her healing chakra to her hands. Focusing completely on extracting the poison from his body with the usual water bubble, she barely noticed another medic assisting her with removing the bowl with the extracted poison. She simply carried on, sweat dripping down her face and neck with the effort she was exerting.

When she could no longer extract anything from the two shinobi, she sat back and stared at them. They were pale and listless. Their condition had not worsened, but it had not improved either. The poison had taken effect long before the procedure and what she had extracted was simply the excess.

Would they survive? Glancing around at the rest of the Leaf shinobi laid out around the marked floor, she wondered if any of them would survive. And if they did, what would this mean for their career. Although it was possible to remain a ninja, having no chakra was bound to make things difficult. Not everyone was like Lee, after all.

Gesturing at the poisoned nins, she told two of the medics, "They need to be moved to the observation rooms."

The two medics nodded and began to prepare for the move.

"Sakura-sempai?"

She turned to the side, finally noticing the medic who had been helping her. "Yes, Kaoru?"

Gesturing to a nearby tray which contained the extracted poison, the medic said, "Shall I bring this to the lab?"

Getting to her feet, Sakura nodded wearily. "Yes, and make sure that they know that it is top priority."

"I will."

Sakura's gaze followed the medic as she left the room swiftly. Around her, other medics began to move the unconscious nins into gurneys, ready to be transferred to observation rooms. Now, she had to go see her Shishou.

000

* * *

000

How troublesome.

That was the first thought that had occurred to Shikamaru when he realized what his findings meant. Still, he had reported everything to the Hokage, for it would be even more bothersome if she found out that he had accidentally omitted anything. Fortunately, she had accepted his suggestion that there was only one thing they could do in this circumstance. It might not result in anything, but this was the only sensible option.

Shikamaru eyed the four nins who had just entered the Hokage's office. Team Kakashi, huh, he mused. It was the right team to pick, considering the nature of the mission.

"What's going on, Baa-chan?" Naruto asked in his typical disrespectful manner.

The Hokage glared at him. "How many times must I tell you to address me properly, Uzumaki?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, it slipped… Hokage-sama."

"Sakura, brief us on your findings."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded. "We managed to extract enough to run a composition analysis. The poison is an interesting one because there is chakra involved in its creation. I'm thinking someone with a shinobi background mixed it using various herbs."

"What about the antidote?" Naruto piped in curiously.

"Let her finish!" Tsunade snapped.

"Anyway, as I was saying…" Sakura interjected, tossing Naruto a warning look. "The poison is made up of various herbs. We can identify most of it, but there are a couple which no one is familiar with. I'm thinking that those must be some sort of rare herbs. The good news is, we have enough information now to produce the antidote."

"What is the progress?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura grimaced. "Slow. And from what I could tell, the antidote works slowly, so we could only hope that the two teams can last out that long. They would live, but we will have to observe if their system could generate chakra again. In the meantime, Kaoru is overseeing the synthesis of the antidote. It will be ready in a few hours, so we can administer it then."

"You won't be here to administer it, so make sure you brief Shizune," the Hokage said.

Looking a little puzzled, Sakura asked, "What do you mean, I won't be here."

"Nara. Explain," Tsunade instructed.

Shuffling to the desk, Shikamaru pressed his finger to a spot denoting Konoha on a tattered map. Sliding the finger north-east until he hit the border of Fire Country, he said, "Team 14 and Team 21 were deployed separately, on different missions. Therefore whatever this is, it has nothing to do with their assignments. I checked the team leaders' travel logs earlier. The only common thing is that the two teams took this route out and back."

Naruto shifted closer and then stabbed a finger at the border line. "What's there?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Nothing much. Just a small border village with an inn and a run-down supply shop."

"Did they stop there?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Considering that it would have taken them almost two days to travel from there back to Konoha, I'm guessing that they spent the night."

"They could have been attacked there then," Naruto piped in.

The Hokage nodded. "And that's why I'm sending the four of you there to investigate." Giving them stern looks, she added, "Whoever did this to the two teams know what they are up against, so be alert."

Naruto thumped his chest. "You can count on us, Baa-ch-"

"Naruto," Sakura hissed in warning.

Shikamaru shook his head in mild exasperation. Reaching into his vest pocket, he withdrew a scroll and tossed it to Kakashi. "That's everything we know."

The Copy-nin inclined his head. "We will go through it."

Shikamaru wanted to tell him that there really was not much there, but decided that Kakashi would find out sooner or later. The ones responsible for the creation of the poison knew what they were doing, and considering the care they had taken in covering their trails, it was likely that they were targeting shinobi.

Were they targeting Konoha, or were those two teams just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

000

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000

It took them just a little more than a day to arrive at the border village. What they discovered then was so unexpected that it rendered them silent for a few moments. Standing there rooted to the entrance of the village, the four of them simply stared.

"When the hell did this appear?" Naruto finally exclaimed in a disbelieving tone, breaking the silence.

"It definitely wasn't here two months ago," Sakura muttered. "I remember stopping by while on one of the ANBU missions."

"It is new," Sasuke remarked, inclining his head at the row of buildings.

"So it is," Kakashi mused, his single visible eye scanning their surroundings. "Anyone sense any chakra?"

Sakura expanded her senses, but detected nothing which indicated the presence of other nins. "Nothing on my end."

Sasuke shook his head once, while Naruto replied, "I can't sense any."

Kakashi clapped his hands together, his eye creasing. "Well, what are we waiting for then? You know what to do. Let's split up and see what we can find out."

"Ne, Sensei. I know that's the plan, but shouldn't we stick together?" Naruto asked.

"It will make it more obvious, Dobe," Sasuke pointed out impatiently.

Naruto glared at him. "Stop calling me Dobe."

"Then stop being one."

"Guys…" Sakura groaned. "This is really not the time."

"Sakura's right." Patting her fondly on the shoulder, Kakashi went on, "See? That's why she is my favorite."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed indignantly.

Sakura groaned again. Past experience told her that they could carry on like this for a long time, which meant that she had better put a stop to this. "Let's move."

With that, she made a beeline to the shops on the left side of the road, knowing that the rest would proceed according to Kakashi's plan. They were here to scope out the situation, meaning that it was simply an intel-gathering mission. To do this efficiently, the plan was for them to spread out to cover more ground.

Simple.

And yet, she had been on enough missions to know that things could go wrong at any moment. It was this thought that prodded her into being on full alert, scanning her surroundings with the view that anything might be a threat. The newly-built two storey buildings with shops at ground level and what looked like accommodations above seemed innocent enough, though, she thought as she walked along the street. There were clothing stores, food outlets and various other shops.

She was almost at the end of the street when she spotted an herbal shop. At once, she paused and stared at it. The presence of this shop coupled with her findings back in Konoha made her wonder if the two were connected.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

She stepped into the herbal shop and was instantly enveloped by strong scents, mostly familiar ones. The walls were lined with shelves containing jars of herbs and ointments, as well as some unidentifiable packets. Whoever owned this place seemed to have it well-stocked, she thought. Whoever that had mixed the poison might have gotten the ingredients from here.

Glancing around, she tried to locate the owner. There was a counter which separated the shop from the back area. Could there be hostile forces in there? Keeping her chakra hidden, she stepped up to the counter.

"Hello?" she called out cautiously.

She heard a shuffling sound, and then a head poked out. The smiling owner wore a pair of spectacles, and Sakura was surprised to see just how young he was. He was probably just a year or two older than her and he appeared to be a civilian, not a ninja.

"May I be of assistance?" he asked as he stepped out to the counter.

"You have a nice set up here," she remarked, sweeping her gaze over the stacked shelves.

His smile widened. "Ah, yes. I have a great interest in herbs and healing."

A kindred spirit then, she thought. Still, she was not here to socialize. She was here to find out if this shop had anything to do with the poison affecting the two Leaf teams. "I was wondering if you could help."

He swept a hand around him. "Tell me your ailment and I'll find you something that would help."

She laughed a little. "No. That's not it."

"No?" He raised a brow. "Then how can I help?"

"Have you noticed any strangers coming in over the last few weeks?" she asked.

His brow furrowed. "Strangers?" After a short pause, he continued, "Not many people come in here."

"How about ninjas? Or anyone behaving suspiciously."

A thoughtful look crossed his face. "I'm not sure, but I remember one traveler who paid for some rare herbs with a jeweled kunai. Kunai is typically a ninja weapon, isn't it?"

Rare herbs? It could be one of the unknown ingredients in the poison. "Can you show me what he bought?"

"Certainly."

The herb that he pointed out looked completely unfamiliar, but without carrying out an analysis, she could not tell if it was the same one used in the poison.

"What does he look like?" she asked.

"He has red hair, I think." Smiling a little, he continued, "I'm afraid I wasn't paying too much attention."

"It's okay." The guy had no reason to suspect his customers after all. However, all may not be lost. "Do you still have the kunai with you? I would like to have a look at it, if that's okay." Maybe Kakashi's summons could track down the potential suspect if they caught his scent off the kunai.

Her heart sank when he shook his head.

"I gave it to my sister," he explained.

"Oh! Do you think-" she paused meaningfully.

"I will bring it in tomorrow," he told her. "You can have a look at it then, but I want it back."

"Thank you," she said gratefully, happy that there was at least one lead. All she had to do was to bring it to Kakashi and return it a few hours later.

"You're welcomed… And how may I address you?" he asked politely.

"Sakura," she supplied.

"Ah. Nice to meet you." With a friendly smile, he returned, "I'm Kabuto."

000

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000

A/N: And more familiar characters are appearing in the next chapter. Hope you've enjoyed that so far. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 9**

Standing by the window of the room they had rented in one of the new inns, Kakashi scanned the street beneath him. There was nothing much to see, for the villagers had retired for the night.

Frowning slightly, Kakashi released the curtain and allowed it to drop, covering the window.

It was odd, but he could not shake the feeling that there was something off about this place. Outwardly, everything seemed to be in order. His earlier survey of the villagers had confirmed that. One thing he noticed was that most of the villagers came from another one nearby, one that had been burnt down by an accidental fire.

If he remembered correctly, Kurenai's team had been assigned to that particular mission. The village had been burnt to a crisp something like few weeks ago. He had not been paying much attention to the details when Kurenai had spoken about it, though. Now he wished that he had.

The sound of footsteps outside the room interrupted his contemplations, and Kakashi turned just as Naruto unlocked the door and stepped in. Following behind him were Sasuke and Sakura.

"Yo," he greeted. "Found anything?"

"Of course," both Naruto and Sakura chorused, while Sasuke muttered a, "Maybe."

"The room is secure, so we can talk freely." Gesturing at Sakura, Kakashi said, "You go first, Sakura."

"Well, I think I might have a lead," she told him.

"Oh? What is it?"

"It is to do with the poison. The owner of the herbal shop recalls selling one of the ingredients to some traveler. He gave me a description, not that it was very useful. But the traveler gave him a jeweled kunai in payment."

"Did you get it?" Sasuke asked.

"He gave it to his sister, and said he will bring it in tomorrow. I thought Kakashi could maybe get Pakkun to capture any scent left from the traveler."

Kakashi nodded. "That's a good idea. Naruto, what's yours?"

Naruto piped up, "Some of the villagers thought they smelled something strange coming from the woods in the eastern side. It could be that those bastards were making the poison."

"They would be gone by now, don't you think?" she asked.

"We have to check the place. They might have left some clues," Kakashi said. "Sasuke, you go with Sakura to get the kunai tomorrow morning. Naruto and I will leave tonight to investigate the woods. We will meet back here tomorrow evening."

"I have to return to one building in the village. There was no one there earlier, so I need to check again," Sasuke said. "There might be something there."

Sakura turned to him. "We can go there first, and then to the shop."

Sasuke nodded.

Kakashi beamed. "Good. It looks like everything is progressing well. We will set out at dawn tomorrow," he announced.

Sakura gave them a small wave as she headed to the door. "I'll see you all in the morning at the entrance, then." Pinning a warning look on him when she reached the door, she added sternly, "And don't be late."

Kakashi smiled widely at her, even though he knew that she could not see past his mask. "I've got these two to wake me up," he said, gesturing to Naruto and Sasuke.

"Of course!" Naruto confirmed immediately, while Sasuke simply grunted.

She rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Good night, then."

"Sleep well," Kakashi said.

"Good night, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out as the door closed behind her.

Stretching, Kakashi went to the bed and threw himself on it, sighing contentedly. It was a good bed, great after more than twenty-four hours of travelling without sleep. Too bad there was only one double bed, he thought with an inward smirk. Naruto and Sasuke would not know what they were missing.

He was about to close his eyes when a whiskered face came into sight, right above him.

"Hey! How come you get the bed?" Naruto challenged, looking decidedly put out.

"My old bones need it," he replied innocently, propping himself up against the headboard.

A scowling Sasuke joined in. "You said we are equals," he pointed out flatly.

"Did I?" Kakashi asked, scratching the back of his head. Of course he did, but he was not about to say so now. Not when it meant that he might lose this comfortable bed space.

Naruto looked as if he was about to argue, and then he suddenly brightened. "Oh, I just remembered something!"

It was amazing how fast his attention could shift, Kakashi mused as the jinchuuriki grew more excited, his blue eyes wide in his grinning face. "What is it, Naruto?"

"I saw this really great place when I was scoping out my section earlier today." He leaned closer. "You know the latest Icha Icha movie? The Icha Icha Speed?"

Kakashi straightened immediately, his attention focused fully on Naruto. The new movie was currently on screen in Konoha, but it was heavily censored, much to his chagrin. It was so censored that the story-line made almost no sense. Tsunade had clamped down hard on it, especially after the latest barrage of complaints about Jiraiya's voyeuristic activities.

"Yes, what about it?"

"It is playing here as a late night feature." Naruto's grin widened. "Uncensored."

Kakashi jumped out of bed. "I think it's a good time to check out what this place is like at night, don't you think?"

"Yeah!" Naruto enthused.

"Count me out," Sasuke muttered.

"You can't sit here alone," Naruto complained. "Let's go."

Sasuke gestured to the bed, smirking as he did so. "I'll get to sleep."

"Come on, Sasuke. Don't be such a prude!"

Sasuke's smirk vanished. "I'm not a prude."

"Leave it, Naruto," Kakashi said, impatient to leave. "He's probably too young to appreciate such work of art."

Naruto grinned. "Sounds like it. I guess we shouldn't corrupt you, huh, Teme?"

Sasuke glowered, and then strode to the door. "Fine. Let's go, then."

Kakashi beamed. There might be hope for that kid yet.

000

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000

It had taken them a little longer than usual to complete the mission, but they had succeeded in attaining their objective in the end. To Itachi, that was not something new. He had never, and would never, leave a mission uncompleted.

Still, the prolonged mission had taken its toll. When his ANBU squad reached Konoha just after sunset, they went their separate ways. Even Genma was too weary to suggest a drink that night, which was just as well since Itachi only wished to return home to wash away the grime accumulated over the course of the mission.

When Itachi set foot in the Uchiha compound, his steps stilled. The compound was lit with the occasional lanterns, illuminating the main pebbled walkway and the buildings on either side of it. Calmly, he stood at the entrance and swept his gaze over the handful of dark-haired, dark-eyed Uchihas wandering around, intent on completing their own tasks before they retired for the night. They were all his relatives, and they all possessed an unbreakable loyalty towards the clan. There was also this unspoken rule that they remained together in the compound.

At some point in the past, it had occurred to him that such a mentality was severely restrictive, but he had not thought twice about it. After all, it was something that was expected of all of them.

However, the conversation he had with Sakura made him revisit his thoughts. Residing in the same compound was no guarantee of one's loyalty, surely. It could even be said that if one chose to betray the clan, it could be carried out more effectively from within. If someone like that existed, it would be difficult to pinpoint them.

Shisui immediately came to mind. Although Itachi had insufficient evidence to show that the other Uchiha was disloyal, there were enough of his actions which suggested it. But what was Shisui doing?

His thoughts were broken by the approach of an elderly man. It was one of the Uchiha elders, Itachi noted silently.

"Itachi," the elder greeted, his wrinkled face impassive.

"Isao-san," Itachi returned politely.

"You missed the last meeting."

Itachi suppressed his annoyance at what was obviously meant as a rebuke. He responded with a simple, "Indeed."

Clearly displeased by his nonchalance, Isao went on, "Your father would tell you this when you get home, but since you're here, I might as well do it."

Knowing that there was no point in arguing, Itachi waited for him to continue.

"It is to do with your marriage," the elder began. "You appear to be delaying. While we are prepared to accept your choice, it may be best that you progress further with the courtship."

Itachi could feel his irritation mounting. "I do not wish to rush such a thing," he responded evenly.

Isao frowned disapprovingly. "There is no reason for the delay. Why not just marry the girl?"

"I prefer to maintain the current pace," Itachi insisted firmly, not intending to give in to the elder's demand.

"The girl is giving you problems?" Isao's brows furrowed. "She should be aware that marriage to you is a privilege. You are the next in line to lead the clan, after all."

Was it truly a privilege? Itachi decided that it was best to ignore Isao's latter comment. The conversation was growing rather tedious, and he did not wish to enter a prolonged debate with the elder. Also, the way the Isao kept referring to Sakura as 'the girl' irked him.

Instead, he responded to Isao's initial question. "Sakura is not giving me problems."

"Then-"

"I will discuss this further with my father," Itachi interjected smoothly. "You need not be concerned about this matter."

Before the elder could say another word, he inclined his head respectfully and walked away with swift strides. Itachi heard an indignant gasp from Isao as he made his way to his house, but he ignored it. Talking to one such as Isao would be pointless, because like all the elders, Isao would continue pressing the issue relentlessly.

In a few months, Sakura's mission would be over. Itachi frowned inwardly. That few months seemed rather short to him now, even though it had appeared adequate when he first commissioned the task. Would that be sufficient time for him to thwart the clan's efforts to make sure he was wedded? And would that be sufficient time for him to neutralize the threat posed by his unknown enemy?

He simply did not know.

When he finally arrived home, Itachi pushed the door open and walked in. He could sense his father's presence, as well as his mother's in the living room, where they normally go to after dinner. Sasuke was not around, which made him wonder if his team was out on a mission. Sakura would not be around for their usual lunch date then.

"Itachi," his father called out from the living room. "Come in here."

Fully aware of what his father wished to say, Itachi went to the living room. There, his father and mother were seated beside each other on flat cushion behind a low table. As his mother smiled at him, Fugaku gestured at the cushion opposite them.

"Sit down. I have something to tell you."

Itachi sat down. "Isao-san has already spoken to me about it."

His father looked puzzled. "Is that so? He brought up the topic of Sakura?"

"Hm."

"I told him I would speak to you about it, but it seems that he is unconvinced that I'll do so," Fugaku said. "So, what is your decision?"

"I have no intention of rushing things to please the elders," Itachi replied blandly.

His father's brows furrowed slightly. "You have been seeing Sakura for several months, at least."

Itachi nodded.

"Is there a problem with her?"

"No."

His father's lips thinned. "Then perhaps it is best that you take her as your bride soon."

"Soon, but not now," Itachi responded, this time a little tightly. The interference of his clan was grating on his nerves. If this was a true courtship, he could not help but wonder how he would react. In any case, he did not appreciate the clan pressuring him on this personal matter. They did not seem to understand that he simply wished to be left alone.

"You are being stubborn," his father ground out, his temper obviously rising.

"This is a personal matter."

"No, Itachi. This is a clan business," Fugaku snapped. "You are the heir, or have you forgotten that? In a few years, you will head this clan and you will need to have a wife beside you, and preferably with a son on the way."

An image of Sakura, heavy with his child, flashed across Itachi's mind. He felt a surge of something unidentifiable, and it discomfited him. He reminded himself that it would never come to that, for this was simply a mission for her.

Still, he could not help but speculate if such a thing was possible outside the scope of a mission. As the heir, he would eventually need to wed and subsequently, produce children. When such a day arrived, would he consider Sakura as a suitable candidate?

Something told him that he would not dismiss the notion.

"Are you listening to me, Itachi?"

"Fugaku…" his mother called out calmly. "Don't get angry at him."

"He has responsibilities to this clan," Fugaku pointed out harshly. "He cannot do anything he likes as and when he pleases."

Irked by those words, Itachi's eyes narrowed. He knew he had responsibilities, but he refused to be pushed around. "Please do not restrict me. I do not appreciate it."

His father's hand slammed on the table, making his mother jump. Angrily, Fugaku asked, "What are you trying to say, Itachi?"

Having heard enough, Itachi rose to his feet abruptly. "I have to go," he declared flatly.

His father stood up, his fist clenched in a display of anger. "You're not going anywhere until you give me your word that you'll do as I say!" he decreed.

As he had no intention of doing so, Itachi simply murmured, "I'm afraid that is not possible, Chichi-ue."

His mother stood up when his father's face reddened in fury, placing herself between them with a worried frown on her face. "Let's not overreact, alright?" she interjected.

Ignoring her, his father snapped, "You dare disobey me?"

"Fugaku!" his mother cried out, her hand landing on Fugaku's shoulder just as he was about to step forward. "Just let him go, alright?"

His entire body tense, Itachi spun around and left the room, shutting the door with a subtle click. Behind him, his father continued to rant and his mother continued her attempts at placating him.

When he finally reached the privacy of his room, the realization of what he had done struck him. Although he had often gotten his own way by manipulating whatever situation that had faced him in the past, it had been a long time since he had openly disobeyed his father. What was more astounding was the unmistakable sense of relief that washed over him at that thought.

The corner of his lips tilted when it occurred to him that perhaps he was more in agreement with Sakura than he had previously thought.

000

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000

Hot.

That was the only word that came to mind when Sakura caught sight of Itachi. It was so unexpected to see him leaning against the river bank, submerged up to his waist with droplets of water glistening on his well-defined chest as the sun hit him.

Her breath became increasingly shallow. And yet, she continued to stare even though she knew that it was wrong to do so. This was obviously a private moment for him.

Come to think of it, why was he not using the hot bath? He was the type to value his privacy more than others, after all. Here, anyone could intrude.

"He's one fine specimen."

The unexpected voice made Sakura turn around, and she frowned in puzzlement.

Ino was there too? Not only that, her blonde friend was staring at Itachi with undisguised interest.

Sakura glanced around, finally noticing that she was in the forest just outside Konoha, with a dense array of bushes separating her from the bathing Itachi. She did not know why she was there or why Itachi was there.

And why she and Ino were spying on him bathing.

"You lucky, lucky thing…" Ino commented, her eyes still pinned on Itachi. "Now that's someone worth watching."

Suddenly, she felt quite irritated. "Stop ogling him, Pig!"

"Oh?" Ino turned to her. "Getting possessive, are we?"

"No!" It was just a mission, she wanted to say.

But Ino's words struck a chord in her. Was she growing possessive of Itachi? It was worrying, because that would mean that she definitely felt more for him.

"Prove it, then! Hand him over to me," Ino said with a smirk.

She glowered at Ino.

The blonde nodded knowingly. "You want him for yourself, don't you? It's not just about the mission anymore. You're getting in too deep, and you know it."

Sakura gasped in horror. "How do you-" She had not told anyone about this. How did Ino find out?

Growing more and more agitated, she reached out to grab her blonde friend, only to have her disappear suddenly in a cloud of yellow flowers. Swatting the petals away from her, Sakura scowled. How dare Ino leave just like that?

"Get back here Ino!"

"Sakura."

She spun around at Itachi's voice, unable to stifle her gasp of surprise as she did so. He was staring down at her, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. How long had he been standing there? And what had he heard? Had he realized that the mission was compromised?

Then her breath hitched in her throat when she realized that he was completely nude. His skin was still wet from the water. She felt her cheeks redden instantly, as she fought to keep her eyes on his face.

"I-Itachi…" she stammered, uncertain how to continue.

"Like what you see?"

Her brows drew together at his uncharacteristic response. This could not be Itachi. Itachi would not smirk in such a way, practically leering at her. "Who are you?" she demanded to know.

Smirk not leaving his face, the Itachi-look-alike slowly backed away.

"Stop right there!" she ordered.

She tried to rush towards him, but found herself unable to move. Her vision was also growing dimmer and dimmer, and with growing alarm, she tried to call out for help.

Then everything went black.

And Sakura opened her eyes with a gasp.

For a moment, she was completely disoriented until she realized what had just happened. She was in bed, in the rented room in the inn.

It was only a dream. A weird dream, but it was just a dream, she thought with a sigh of relief.

She did not remember having such an odd dream for a while now, let alone one which featured a naked Itachi. Her cheeks heated at the recollection of it. Gah! Her hentai ex-sensei must be rubbing off on her, because it was unthinkable that she would think of Itachi in THAT way. Not to mention what the dream-Ino had said about her being possessive was completely preposterous.

Flipping her hair out of her eyes, she glanced around, intent on pushing the dream out of her mind. The sun was shining through the slats in front of the window, telling her that the day had just begun.

It was time to get out of bed.

Once she had prepared herself, Sakura left her room and headed down to the reception area. No one was there yet, but that was not surprising. They probably just woke up, she surmised as she walked to the main door.

Standing just outside the entrance of the inn, she looked around curiously. It looked like any early morning scene in any village. People were just beginning to exit the buildings, each going their own way.

The subtle scent of breakfast permeated the air, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since dinner last night. Perhaps they could grab something light to eat before they began their tasks, she thought as she eyed a vendor setting up his stall across the road. Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

Growing rather impatient, she glanced back into the inn to see if the three members of her team were out yet. The only person she saw was the receptionist behind the desk, who seemed quite bored.

"Where are they?" she muttered under her breath.

She waited another forty-five minutes before she let out a frustrated cry, startling the receptionist. Ignoring his wide-eyed look, Sakura bypassed him and strode back to the wing housing the bedrooms. It was obvious that those three were not awake yet, because they were almost an hour late.

When she reached, she rapped on the door loudly. Almost immediately, she heard a loud thump, followed by a groan and then a colorful curse. Yes, they had been asleep a second ago, she thought with a glower.

"You three had better open the door. Right now!" she snapped.

She heard muffled voices followed by a scrambling sound. And then, "Hang on, Sakura-chan!"

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a disheveled Naruto. He cast her a nervous smile, stifling a yawn as he did so. "Good morning."

"Is it?" she growled.

She did not need to peek past him to know that the other two were probably in the same state. Sniffing delicately, she noticed a scent that made her even more furious. She swore she felt a vein pop.

"You have been drinking?!" she shrieked.

Naruto cringed, and took a step back.

Sakura clenched her hands into fists, not missing the terrified look that Naruto was sporting. Oh, they could be so irresponsible sometimes. Drinking on a mission? She had a good mind to report them to Tsunade. The problem was, she probably would have forgotten about it or cooled down considerably when they got back to Konoha.

Holding his hands up, Naruto stammered, "I-I can explain, Sakura-chan. We didn't mean to-"

"Save it," she interrupted tersely. Explanations would achieve nothing, except maybe delaying them further. "Just get ready and meet me downstairs."

With that, she spun around, yanking the door shut as she left.

000

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000

When the door slammed shut, punctuated by the sound of an angry kunoichi stalking away, Kakashi let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding. That was a close shave. For a moment, he thought that she would simply punch the door down in her anger.

Swinging himself off the bed, he stood up just as Sasuke pushed himself out of his sleeping bag. It was probably time to make a move.

Still feeling the effects of the alcohol they had consumed after the wonderful movie last night, the three of them quickly prepared to leave without much conversation. It was only when they were about to walk out of the room that the most boisterous member of their team broke the silence.

"She's scary," Naruto muttered as he slung his backpack over his shoulders.

"Well, we are late," Sasuke pointed out flatly as he walked to the door.

Naruto grinned sheepishly as they left the room. "Maybe we had a bit too much to drink."

"Hm."

Kakashi decided not to comment. After all, it was unseemly to admit that he was a little intimidated by Sakura's temper. She was certainly growing more forceful by the day. And if he was not mistaken, it all grew worse soon after she had begun going on missions with the ANBU. Uchiha Itachi was a bad influence on her.

They were greeted by a still-angry Sakura outside the entrance to the inn. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her foot was tapping impatiently against the gravel.

"Ready?" she asked stonily.

Kakashi decided to give her his infamous eye-crinkle. "Of course, Sakura."

He deflated inwardly when she only scowled at him. It was never nice to be the recipient of such a look from the pink-haired kunoichi. Thankfully, she was paired up with Sasuke, and not him today.

"Let's go, then."

They left the inn half an hour after Sakura's entrance into their room, splitting up into pairs as planned. Much to Kakashi's amusement, and relief, Sakura silently thrust paper-wrapped packets of food at them just before they separated.

"Breakfast," she announced gruffly.

"You're the best, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out enthusiastic as he accepted one of the packets.

A smile broke out over Kakashi's face. As angry as she was at them, she still thought to feed them. No wonder she was always his favorite kunoichi. The girl was simply incomparable. "Thank you, Sakura," he said, meaning every word.

Sasuke looked a little wary when he took his portion. "Thank you."

Huffing, Kakashi did not know whether in irritation or in embarrassment, the pink-haired kunoichi turned away and began to walk.

"Are you coming, Sasuke?" she asked tartly.

"Hm."

Knowing that they will meet the other pair back at the inn tonight, Kakashi turned to Naruto. "Let's check out your lead."

Walking through the village, Kakashi opened the packet containing breakfast. His mouth watered at the scent of tebasaki contained within. Picking out one of the fried chicken wings, he immediately bit into it and sighed in appreciation. Sakura deserved a bonus for this. Beside him, Naruto was greedily wolfing his portion down as they headed towards the forest.

Kakashi's thoughts from last night came back to him just as the new buildings caught his attention. The village seemed to have appeared just out of nowhere, which was strange. His gut feeling told him that it had something to do with the burnt down village. Now if he could only remember what Kurenai had said about the other place.

That niggling feeling that something was off continued to bug Kakashi even when he and Naruto finally made it into the forest. And yet, he could not pinpoint what it was. Managing not to trip over the felled tree trunks as well as keeping his steps silent, he continued to scan his surroundings while he followed Naruto's lead. All the while, he wracked his brain for some clue as to what he was missing.

"Hurry up, Sensei!" Naruto pushed impatiently.

Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was not as if the blonde himself had been up on time. In fact, all of them had been sleeping quite contentedly until an irate Sakura banged on the door to wake them up. Under the threat of having to pay for the door that Sakura would no doubt demolish if they did not respond, Kakashi had managed to push Naruto to the door to hold her at bay.

His thoughts were broken abruptly when Kakashi sensed the approach of foreign chakra. Beside him, Naruto froze.

"You feel that, Sensei?"

"Aa."

Kakashi grimaced as he braced himself. "It's coming closer."

That was when he saw the shadowy figures in the distance, half hidden by the denseness of the forest. The fact that there was more than one surprised Kakashi, for he only sensed the chakra belonging to an individual. Were they clones?

"I see three. But there's something not quite right," Naruto muttered.

"We'll find out soon," Kakashi replied quietly as the shadowy figures began to move towards them.

One by one, they came closer, surrounding him and Naruto. It was almost as if they were just waiting for him and Naruto to appear in the forest, which meant that this was an ambush.

"What the hell…" Naruto exclaimed, his blue eyes darting sharply from one opponent to the other. "There are like six of them now."

"Aa." Pushing up his hitai-ate to reveal his Sharingan, Kakashi scanned the area beyond them. "There are more waiting in the hut," he announced.

"Shit. What the hell are they?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he responded, "Puppets."

000

* * *

000

They were almost at the edge of the village when Sasuke caught sight of it.

The two-storey building that stood tall in the distance was the one he had not been able to gain entrance to yesterday. Both levels were made out of timber and coated with white paint. Like the majority of the buildings in this village, it was obviously new.

"Are you sure the building is occupied, Sasuke?" Sakura asked as they made their way towards it.

He nodded. "It is furnished."

"So you knocked and no one opened the door?"

"Hm."

Stopping suddenly, Sakura turned to him. "Maybe they peeked out of the window and was scared off by your face," she remarked with a grin.

Not amused, he simply frowned at her.

Unperturbed, she continued to grin. "That look might scare off lesser beings, but it doesn't work on me. Besides, I've seen scarier ones on your brother when I messed things up during missions."

Sasuke looked away. The reminder of her relationship with him brother discomfited him, though one certainly did not need a reminder considering how often those two had been seen together in public in recent months. He still could hardly believe that they were together. Character-wise, his Nii-san and Sakura were practically polar opposites. Perhaps that was why Itachi was drawn to her. After all, Sasuke knew from experience that her presence was usually pleasing.

After a certain amount of deliberation following his discovery of their relationship, Sasuke had realized that perhaps he was a little annoyed by it. Sakura used to pay him the sort of attention she now gave Itachi, albeit a long time ago. He had not appreciated it then, but they were only twelve at that time. Would he welcome such a thing now?

Perhaps his long-standing aspiration to reach his brother's level was the reason behind his discomfiture. It was most likely to be that, because he could not possibly be jealous. Jealous would mean that he harbored feelings for Sakura, and that was wrong. It was even more wrong now that Sakura was practically his brother's betrothed.

"Sasuke?"

Sakura's voice drew him out of his contemplations. Darting a questioning look at her, he asked, "Yes?"

She frowned slightly. "You looked a little worried back there. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Turning away from her, he inclined his head at the house. "We are almost there."

"Maybe I should do the talking this time."

"Hm."

When they reached their destination, Sasuke glanced sideways at his partner as she knocked on the gleaming white door. She was wearing a small smile, prepared to charm whomever it was that might open the door for them.

There was no answer, so Sakura knocked again.

After a while, it became clear that if anyone was home, they were not planning on answering.

"Shall we break in?"

Sakura was eyeing the windows contemplatively. It was a possible solution, but if they damaged anything, Konoha would have to pick up the bill and he had no doubt that Tsunade would not be too pleased. Besides, the building could be occupied by innocents, for all they knew.

"No. We can return afterwards."

She shrugged. "Let's go to the herbal store, then."

It did not take them long to backtrack through the village to the herbal store Sakura had visited yesterday. When they reached, he stepped in behind her.

A bespectacled man around their age was standing behind the counter, serving a customer. Noticing their entrance to his store, the man inclined his head in greeting, but continued his conversation with the old woman who appeared to be purchasing some herbs. Sasuke did not know if Sakura noticed that the man seemed a little surprised by his presence, for he had quickly looked away.

"Four times a day, Obaa-san," the man said politely. "That will ease your aches."

The elderly customer nodded and thanked him. Once she left the store, Sakura walked up to the counter.

"Kabuto-san."

"Sakura-san," the man greeted with a smile. Pushing his spectacles up, he went on, "I assume you are here for the kunai?"

"Yes," Sakura replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to borrow it for a while."

Kabuto gestured towards the door leading to the back of the shop. "Wait here. I'll get it for you."

The swift glance Kabuto cast him as he left the counter did not escape Sasuke's notice. A twinge of suspicion pricked at Sasuke when Kabuto disappeared from sight. Something did not seem quite right about that man.

"What is it?"

Sasuke turned to see Sakura eyeing him questioningly. Her hands were on her hips and she seemed a little annoyed. So he replied, "Nothing."

She reached out, and much to his displeasure, stabbed his chest with one slender finger. "Don't give me that. I can sense that hostile vibe from you. So, what is it?" she demanded to know.

"He seemed surprised to see me," he finally said quietly. "Besides, I don't think he is trustworthy."

Her brows drew together as she assessed his words. "Why?" she asked quietly, casting a wary glance at the door behind the counter, as if to check if Kabuto was still there.

He could tell that Sakura was not dismissing his concerns, for which he was relieved. Arguing with Sakura was never pleasant. "I cannot explain. Just be on your guard," he murmured.

After a moment's hesitation, Sakura nodded. "Okay."

With that, they fell silent. If Kabuto was truly an enemy, then they should not be discussing anything in here. Sasuke decided there and then that it was best to subtly prod the silver-haired man. Perhaps he knew more than he was letting on. Perhaps they could even apprehend him and bring him back to Konoha for questioning.

"He's taking a long time."

Drawn out of his thoughts by Sakura's whisper, Sasuke darted a look at the door separating the front and back of the shop.

"Maybe we should go through," she went on.

But before he could respond, a loud explosion went off in the distance.

Instantly on full alert, his Sharingan activated, he rushed out of the shop with Sakura close behind him. Once outside, he immediately saw the massive cloud of smoke beyond the village. A feeling of dread coursed through him, followed quickly by another twinge that told him something was decidedly wrong.

"Where-"

"The forest." His voice was clipped.

"Isn't that Kakashi's and Naruto's location?" she gasped, her eyes wide with worry.

"Hm."

"Let's go!"

He frowned. "Stay focused. We have our own task to perform. They will be fine."

"They could be injured!" she exclaimed urgently.

Sasuke glanced back towards the shop. "After we get him."

Comprehension dawned in her emerald orbs. "Go on. We don't have any time to waste," she said grimly as she urged him into the shop.

That settled, Sasuke vaulted nimbly over the counter and pushed the door open. Even before the back room came completely into view, he already knew that Kabuto was no longer there. The window at the far end of the room told him how the other man had left.

Striding to the window, he looked out. A dark form, growing smaller and more distant by the second, immediately caught his attention.

"Sasuke? Where is he?"

"He's a shinobi," Sasuke declared darkly as he saw a hint of Kabuto's previously-absent chakra as he ran.

Sakura looked shocked as she squeezed beside him, peering out of the window. "What?!"

"He was hiding his chakra." The fact that the other shinobi had managed to hide it so well betrayed his level of mastery at chakra manipulation.

"The bastard," she hissed as she began to leap out of the window. "I didn't sense it at all. He must be a medic or something to have that sort of skill with chakra."

Sasuke placed a restraining hand on her shoulder before she could jump out. "Go check out the explosion. I will handle things here."

Sakura darted a quick glance at Kabuto, who was disappearing quick in the distance. Clearly, there was no time to argue. With a nod, she said, "Meet back at the inn, okay? And Sasuke?"

"Yes?" he bit out impatiently as he turned to go after the silver-haired shinobi. Could she not wait until later to say whatever she wished to say?

"Take care."

Sasuke caught a flash of genuine concern in her expression before she streaked off towards the forest. As he leapt out and went in the opposite direction, he could not help but smile at the thought that some things never changed. Sakura might be dating his brother now, but she still cared for her teammates.

And that made him feel strangely pleased.

000

* * *

000

Itachi found himself standing by the main gates of Konoha, staring at the path beyond. His subtle inspection earlier had revealed that Hatake's team would be away for an indeterminate amount of time, something common for investigative missions.

Somehow, he felt a little odd without the presence of a certain kunoichi. It was probably because he always made it a point to be seen with her whenever he was in the village. He must have gotten used to her company. Strangely enough, that very thought was not as alarming as he anticipated, considering his preference to remain solitary.

He frowned thoughtfully as he took a few steps beyond the gates, uninterrupted by the sentries. Should he be concerned about his behavior when it came to Sakura, or should he simply let it be? His contemplations about her during the mission and notions that had ran across his mind last night suggested to him that he no longer view her as a mere comrade, but something more.

It was a little awkward to think that he could see her as a potential bride, if the circumstances did arise. After all, it was clear that she simply treated this as a mission. She would not expect it to be anything more personal. Furthermore, her experience with the Hyuuga probably meant that she would not be too pleased by the direction of his thoughts.

No, he truly should not be entertaining such a notion, even though it was growing increasingly appealing.

Deciding that a walk would perhaps distract him from such thoughts, Itachi turned and began to walk around the outside of Konoha's boundary walls. A chuunin sentry standing atop the wall straightened as he approached, but he simply walked past her without a word. He rarely engaged in small talk with others, after all.

He continued to walk at a sedate pace, keeping the stone boundary wall in sight, but slowly veering away from Konoha. In the attempt to remove Sakura from his thoughts, he shifted his attention to the issue of his clan. However, this only brought a frown to his face. There was nothing more he could do to deflect their interest in his personal life as long as he remained the heir.

But would he go as far as to forgo it for the sake of privacy?

Before he could contemplate the question further, a spike of chakra caught his attention.

His senses immediately went on full alert, and he spun around in the direction of the chakra. The source was up in a large tree.

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise when he caught sight of the person half-hidden by the tree branches. It was not someone he had expected to see again, even though the last time he set eyes on the shinobi was when he had been a thirteen-years-old shinobi.

Uchiha Daisuke appeared unchanged apart from the greying hair covering a new hitai-ate that replaced the one from Konoha. So, Daisuke had pledged his loyalty to another village. Much to Itachi's annoyance, the inscription that would tell him the identity of the village was covered by the older Uchiha's hair. Letting his eyes run over the other shinobi, Itachi could also tell that there were some irregularities with his chakra.

How odd.

Dropping down gracefully from the tree limb, the intruder greeted, "Itachi."

"Daisuke-san."

The grey-haired shinobi smirked, and his hair shifted slightly. It was not enough to reveal the hitai-ate, but it drew Itachi's attention to the older man's eyes. Itachi frowned inwardly when he noticed the elongated pupils, something that Daisuke had never possessed in the past.

"You remember me."

"Aa."

How could he forget the one who had fought beside Madara so many years ago during the attempt to overthrow the Sandaime? Daisuke, as well as a number of Uchihas had joined Madara then, convinced that the title of Hokage should go to an Uchiha.

Itachi had thought that all of them had been eliminated, but it seemed that he was wrong. Daisuke's survival meant that there could be more of them out there. Such a thing was clearly a threat if they chose to cause problems.

In fact, Itachi was fairly certain that they had begun. A clearer picture of the situation began to emerge as he watched the other Uchiha.

"Why, nothing to say to me after all these years?" Daisuke asked in a faintly mocking tone.

In measured tones, Itachi returned, "Perhaps you wish to tell me where you have been since leaving Konoha."

Daisuke raised a brow. "Now, that would make things far too easy for you, wouldn't it? If I recall correctly, you are rather good at figuring out puzzles and strategies. You have managed to single-handedly destroy Madara-sama's careful planning, after all."

"Not single-handedly," Itachi pointed out evenly.

Shrugging, Daisuke went on, "You know what I mean. Konoha was clueless until you exposed the plan. Not only that, you managed to steal Madara's scroll."

Itachi simply stared at him, not intending to respond. Daisuke's words merely confirmed his suspicion. The other Uchiha was involved in the numerous attempts to retrieve the scroll from him over the years, hiring missing-nins to do his work.

"So, care to tell me where you hid it?" Daisuke asked.

"I do not know where it is," Itachi replied truthfully. The scroll's exact location was unknown to him.

Daisuke's eyes narrowed in displeasure. "I see. This is how you want to continue, huh?"

Once again, Itachi remained silent. Then, when another smirk appeared on the other's Uchiha's face, he tensed inwardly. He could sense that Daisuke was plotting, and something told Itachi that he would not like it.

"I heard about your little kunoichi, Itachi." Daisuke adopted a contemplative look. "Haruno Sakura, I believe she is called."

Itachi kept his expression impassive. The news had certainly spread far in such a short time. It reinforced Itachi's belief that there was a spy amongst their ranks, Shisui being high on the list of suspects.

"So how is she?" the older Uchiha asked.

"It is none of your concern."

"On the contrary. I see her as the centerpiece of this game of ours. The catalyst that will determine your path." The grey-haired Uchiha smirked. "Don't you think so, Itachi?"

Itachi intoned blandly, "She is of no consequence."

A dark brow rose. "Is that so? I find that difficult to believe, Itachi. After all, rumor is, you're planning to wed this kunoichi."

A picture began to form in Itachi's mind and he found himself disliking its implications. Perhaps even angered although he knew that he should have expected this. After all, was this not why he had chosen Sakura for the task? But right now, he had to keep his composure, not allowing his opponent to even catch a glimpse of his true emotion.

Seemingly bent on goading a reaction from him, Daisuke went on, "She is yours, so you'd protect her. And you protect what you value, isn't that right? Staying in Konoha, accepting scraps from them. Staying in Konoha even though you could achieve much more with us."

"I have no intention of becoming a missing-nin," Itachi responded in a quiet voice.

"It is just a label. Or are you so brainwashed that you cannot see it? Join us. Share what you know with us. It is merely a scroll."

Merely a scroll? No, if it was not important, this organization would not have bothered finding out about it. Besides, Itachi knew for sure that it was not unimportant.

"If it makes you feel better, you will not be a missing-nin. You will simply pledge your loyalty to another hidden village," Daisuke said as he tapped his hitai-ate.

Itachi caught a glimpse of part of the inscription, but he could not recognize it. Was it a new village? "Which village?"

"Give us the scroll and join us. Then you will understand."

"I must decline."

Anger flashed across Daisuke's face. "You are stubborn. But that's to be expected." Then a smirk appeared before he said, "Well, soon, you will have to make a decision."

Deciding that he had heard enough, Itachi streaked towards the other Uchiha, drawing his blade forward. Unsurprisingly, the moment his katana pierced Daisuke, the other shinobi exploded in a puff of smoke.

A bunshin.

Grimacing, Itachi sheathed his katana.

Daisuke clearly intended to use Sakura as a bargaining chip, which meant that Sakura was now in danger. If he recalled correctly, Daisuke was simply a mediocre shinobi who had ambitions far beyond his abilities. This meant that Sakura would easily hold her own if they engaged in battle.

Still, Daisuke might catch her by surprise. So, perhaps it was time he informed Sakura about this.

At the same time, he would have to do something about the spy. Shisui was still under suspicion, and considering the current situation, perhaps he should simply confront the other Uchiha face to face.

000

* * *

000

The explosion and the resulting plume of smoke had not only caught hers and Sasuke's attention, but those of the villagers as well. Intent on reaching Kakashi and Naruto, Sakura simply streaked past the people lining the streets, heading straight for the forest.

What could have possibly caused the explosion?

She soon left the village behind. The cluster of plants grew denser as she approached the forest. She had no idea where Kakashi and Naruto were, but she could still just about make out where the smoke was coming from. And that was her first destination.

Suddenly, her senses prickled in warning.

Reacting instinctively, she vaulted up into a tree just as the ground beneath her cracked open in a series of small explosions. She was under attack, she realized grimly. Tensing, her eyes darted in all directions to assess what could have caused it.

It did not take her long to feel someone else's chakra. Her lips thinned in annoyance when she realized that it was a shinobi. The unfamiliar chakra was faint, obviously well-hidden, which warned her that her opponent was not to be taken lightly.

She had to force the shinobi out.

"Take this!" she hissed as she drew her hand back.

Her fist split the earth the moment it made contact. Loud cracks ripped through the air as fractures radiated outwards, tossing up broken chunks of trees. In moments, the forest around her was nothing but a scene of destruction.

She heard a muffled curse, and then a flash of white bursting out from beneath some felled tree trunks. The white objects soon became visible.

Clay birds?

Before she could make out anything else, the birds swept towards her.

She performed a substitution jutsu just as the birds made contact. In a blink of an eye, almost too fast for her to see, the clay birds blew up with a loud bang, instantly surrounding her with a white fog of dust. Cursing inwardly, she leapt upwards into the nearest tree. Those clay birds were explosives.

"I knew that was just a clone, yeah."

Her eyes widened at the sound of the mocking voice. She knew where it was coming from, but the white dust was obscuring her vision, something that she suspected was a deliberate move on her attacker's part. It was too risky to attack when she could barely see anything in front of her.

"Who are you?" she ground out, crouching down to minimize her vulnerability.

"You could say I'm an artist," he replied, sounding inanely pleased about it.

Sakura snorted. "What do you want?"

"Your cooperation, yeah."

Her eyes narrowed as she asked in a wary tone, "What for?"

"To take you down."

What? The hell she would allow that. Why would anyone want to attack her anyway? It was not as if she was someone important, or even in the Bingo books. Was this a case of mistaken identity? It looked as if that might explain things.

"You got the wrong person," she called out.

"You have pink hair."

She could not possibly be the only girl with pink hair in this world. This was growing troublesome, though, since this idiot was stopping her from reaching Kakashi and Naruto.

"So, how about surrendering, hm?"

"Dream on," she muttered.

She could not afford to waste time here. Kakashi and Naruto might need medical help. It was time to do something about her current situation.

Bringing her hands together, she performed the seals for a wind jutsu. "Fuuton: Kazekiri no Jutsu!"

Her surroundings immediately stirred, and then a large blade of wind materialized mid-air. Still crouched on the tree limb, she watched as her wind technique displaced the white dust, clearing the air around her.

"Now what did you do that for?" his voice reached her, seemingly from all directions.

Sakura darted her gaze left and right, trying to find the other shinobi. To her consternation, her opponent was nowhere to be seen even though the white dust was completely gone. Worse still, when she reached out to find his chakra, she sensed it from multiple directions. He must have made multiple clones, and this worried her because the sheer number of chakra sources meant that there were too many for her to handle on her own.

She had to run.

Her legs barely left the ground when she felt it.

Eyes widening, she watched as hundreds of white clay birds materialized from all around her. Without pause, all of them descended upon their target. Her. Mild panic set in even as she told herself to remain calm.

Just what the hell was she up against? She was surrounded by those clay birds. Damn it! If they exploded while she was being surrounded like this, then she was done for. So far, none of them was touching her, and she did not know if contact with her skin would set them off.

There was one thing left for her to do, even though it would eat up a lot of chakra.

She brought her hands together to perform the necessary seals, but before she could even begin, the flock of clay birds parted to reveal her attacker for the first time.

Seated on a gigantic flying clay bird, he was grinning at her with a maniacal light gleaming in his blue eyes. His long blonde hair, tied up in a ponytail, flapped wildly behind him as the bird shifted in the air.

Then Sakura felt herself grow cold as her attacker's eyes narrowed in unmistakable glee.

"Katsu!"

The last thought that crossed Sakura's mind before she blacked out from the explosion was that she could not possibly lose to some blonde madman.

000

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000

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews for Chapter 9! Sorry it took so long for me to get this posted. My baby seems to be growing more demanding as he grows older (shakes head). I'm trying my best to get the chapters out, though, so I hope you'll be patient with me. All that said, please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 10**

Sasuke flattened himself against the nearest tree trunk, darting his eyes left and right. His opponent was somewhere nearby. He could sense it.

He also knew that this battle had dragged on far too long. If he estimated correctly, they had been fighting for the last hour, although most of the time, it involved seeking out one another. Kabuto was no slouch when it came to sneak attacks, and Sasuke had a couple of close shaves earlier. It was only because of his Sharingan that he had been able to deflect the attacks.

An odd hum was the only warning he got before Sasuke saw a flash of something. He cursed under his breath as he leapt back, knowing that he was not fast enough. A burning pain high on his left arm made him suck in a sharp breath. He had been careless, allowing Kabuto to get a blow in. When the pain quickly receded to be replaced with an alarming numbness, Sasuke looked at his opponent, gritted his teeth in anger.

Kabuto now stood before him at a safe distance, wearing a small smirk on his face. Too late, Sasuke recalled what Sakura had said about Kabuto's chakra control. Kabuto's glowing hands were some kind of scalpel, which explained why his left arm was now all but useless. His nerves were severed.

"There is no need to fight, Uchiha-san. Just let me walk away," Kabuto said pleasantly.

Sasuke bit out, "Who are you and what are your intentions?"

"Intentions? I'm not sure I understand. I'm Kabuto, the owner of the herbal store. That's all."

The hell it was, Sasuke thought. The guy was obviously a shinobi, one who was quite skilled. It was clear now that Kabuto must be involved in the unsolved mystery of the poison. His reason for doing so, however, was unknown.

"You created the poison which affected Konoha shinobi," Sasuke accused. "Why?"

"That was merely an order from…" Kabuto smiled slightly. "A benefactor."

Sasuke was surprised that he did not bother denying it. "Who?"

"That, I'm afraid, is not something I can share with you."

Sasuke grimaced inwardly. Kabuto clearly had no intention of elaborating further, and Sasuke was a little uncertain of his next step. With one arm out of commission, he was at a disadvantage physically. So, the only thing he could try now was his doujutsu.

"You're merely the minion, then," Sasuke taunted.

Eyes narrowing at him, Kabuto returned in a cold voice, "Do not underestimate me."

With that, he charged.

Quickly forming a one-handed set of seals, Sasuke murmured, not breaking eye-contact with his opponent, "_Ninpou-Yamiyo."_

The sky groaned as the clouds shifted to block the sun. The whispers of the leaves silenced, and the forest stilled in an instant. In seconds, the whole area was enveloped in darkness.

At least, that was what it should look like to Kabuto. To Sasuke, the midday sun was still shining brightly upon them. He saw Kabuto pale momentarily, and then the bespectacled shinobi smiled.

"A genjutsu, I presume."

Yes, it was a genjutsu. One that gave Sasuke the opportunity to attack. He tossed out a handful of wires just as Kabuto called out a release.

"Kai!"

Sasuke smirked as his wires wrapped around Kabuto. "A Sharingan-based genjutsu is not so easy to dispel," he pointed out.

Kabuto's jaw tightened as he yanked on the wires.

Then, much to Sasuke's annoyance, Kabuto disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was only a clone, which meant that the genjutsu had not connected with the real target. Where was he now, Sasuke wondered, his eyes darting warily left and right as his hands clenched around his kunai.

It was then that he sensed a rapidly approaching presence.

"Teme!!"

Sasuke winced at Naruto's earth-shaking volume, just before the orange-clad shinobi appeared with Kakashi not far behind.

"Dobe," he muttered. "Stay away."

"Behind you!"

Sasuke spun around to see Kabuto charging towards him with a pair of glowing hands. However, just as he was about to move, four Narutos streaked past him, each pair carrying a glowing sphere of chakra.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Don't kill him!" They needed to bring Kabuto back to Konoha for questioning.

"Rasengan!"

A bright flare lit up the forest as a cry of pain rang out.

"Stupid Dobe," Sasuke hissed as he raced forward until Kabuto came into sight. He was lying prone on the forest floor with a beaming Naruto standing over him.

When he came up to them, Naruto exclaimed with a careless wave of his hand, "He's alive. I just took out his arms."

Good riddance, Sasuke thought as he considered his own limp arm. He hoped that Sakura would be able to fix this, because it was quite inconvenient to lose the use of one arm.

The sound of a page turning caught his attention then and he turned to see Kakashi stepping closer to them, face still buried in his book. Sasuke scowled at the sight, wondering how could their so-call team leader could be so relaxed during a mission. He only lowered the book when he reached them.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted, peering over Naruto's shoulder at the unconscious Kabuto. "Who is this?"

"Kabuto, the guy at the herbal store. He was acting suspicious, so I thought we should take him in for interrogation," Sasuke explained. "Turns out that he knows about the poison."

"Good job."

"Bet you're glad we came in time, huh, Teme?" Naruto exclaimed with a wide grin.

Sasuke simply glowered at the blonde. It was true but he was not about to give the blonde the satisfaction by confirming it. Then, as he glanced around, Sasuke immediately realized that something was amiss.

"Where is Sakura?" he asked.

Kakashi darted a sharp look at him. "She is not with you?"

Sasuke's blood turned cold at the Copy-nin's words. Sakura was not with him and not with the other two. So where was she? "She went to find you," he ventured slowly.

"What? When?" Naruto asked, looking bewildered. "We haven't seen her."

Growing increasingly disturbed, Sasuke turned to Kakashi. "Something is wrong. She must have been intercepted before she reached the two of you."

"What?" Naruto yelled, his eyes wide in shock.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "We didn't see her on our way here, though. Someone might have taken her."

"What are we going to do? Sakura's missing!" Naruto cried out, alarmed.

"Let's not worry until we find out what happened, alright?" Kakashi said. Forming the seals for a summoning jutsu, he called out, "Kuchiyose-no-jutsu!"

A cloud of smoke appeared before them, and then Kakashi's summon materialized. The small canine nodded his greeting. "You summoned?"

"Pakkun. I need you to find Sakura."

000

* * *

000

Itachi was on his way to meet Shisui to confront him about his odd behavior when a shinobi rushed past him, wearing a grim expression.

He recognized her as one of those who operated from the communications tower. An urgent message must have arrived, he surmised as he continued to watch her rush towards the Hokage Tower, only to be intercepted by Shizune. A heated exchanged ensued, but from that distance, he could only hear snippets of the conversation.

Itachi was about to move away when her words stilled him.

"… from Hatake Kakashi…"

"… she has not returned to them?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed as a flash of what he recognized as concern shot through him. Something was clearly amiss.

"… split up… can't find her…"

"… what do you mean… Sakura can't…"

"… explosions… decoy…"

"What!"

At this point, Itachi had heard enough. It was clear that something had gone wrong in Kakashi's mission, and it appeared to involve Sakura. The thought that something might have happened to her sent a pang of unease through him, and it pushed him into action.

His confrontation with Shisui would have to wait.

Swiftly, he strode towards the two shinobi. They immediately stopped talking when they saw him, but he was having none of it.

"What happened?"

Shizune looked worried, but she simply shook her head at him. "Confidential."

"It involves Sakura, does it not?" Itachi pressed on calmly.

This time, Shizune averted her gaze. "I'm sure you understand that I can't tell you anything. If you'll excuse me, I have to report to the Hokage."

Her words were deliberate for it was not unknown that the walls of the Hokage's office were not as sound-proof as they should be. So, Itachi waited until Shizune had disappeared into the building before he looked up. It did not take him long to scale the walls, entering the tower via a window one level below the Hokage's office. And not long afterwards, he was outside the Hokage's office, leaning casually against the wall.

It was not hard to overhear the conversation between the Hokage and Shizune. In fact, half of Konoha probably heard the Hokage's bellow of rage when Shizune told her that Sakura was nowhere to be found. Her teammates had searched everywhere they could, to no avail.

He continued to listen as Tsunade discussed the options with Shizune. It appeared that Team Kakashi would not be able to commence with the tracking because firstly, the nin dogs could not catch Sakura's scent. And secondly, they currently had a shinobi under arrest, waiting to be brought back to Konoha for questioning. The only option left was to assign another team to meet them, either to bring the prisoner back or to track down Sakura.

Itachi's lips thinned when he realized that Daisuke had put his plan into motion. This was what the older Uchiha had been talking about yesterday. Daisuke had orchestrated everything in order to kidnap Sakura to use her as a bargaining chip until he got his hands on the scrolls.

Considering the situation, Itachi knew that he had no choice but to tell the Hokage the truth now.

With that thought, he raised his hand to knock on the door. There was a brief pause before he heard the Hokage's voice.

"Come in."

He pushed the door open and walked in. Tsunade and Shizune were both staring at him, the former wearing an impatient frown and the latter a slightly guilty look.

"What is it, Uchiha?"

He went straight to the point. "I have some information you may wish to hear."

Tsunade's brows furrowed. "Speak then."

Itachi darted a quick glance at Shizune before returning his eyes to the Hokage. "It is a matter best kept confidential."

An impatient huff escaped the Hokage. "Is that everything, Shizune?" she asked as she handed the pink piglet to her long-time assistant.

The dark-haired kunoichi nodded. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Get me the ANBU roster," Tsunade instructed, just before Shizune walked out of the door.

"You may wish to hear what I have to say first," Itachi cut in smoothly.

The Hokage tensed at his words. "This has something to do with Sakura's disappearance?" she asked in a chilly tone.

Itachi nodded once, feeling a stab of unease at Tsunade's narrowed eyes. She would not be pleased to hear what he had to say. Her knuckles were already white with strain, he noticed.

"Uh… Tsunade-sama?" Shizune prompted nervously. "You still want the roster?"

Eyes not leaving him, the Hokage shook her head. "Come back in half an hour."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." With that, Shizune backed out of the room, taking the piglet with her.

Tsunade's eyes were flinty when she next spoke. "I do not approve of your eavesdropping, Uchiha. What is it you know about her kidnapping?"

"I believe she has been kidnapped to be used as leverage against me."

Surprise flashed across her eyes. "I presume this is because she's supposedly your girlfriend?"

"Aa."

"Outsiders wouldn't know about this." At his look, she added cautiously, "You think there are spies in Konoha?"

"I suspect so."

"Start from the beginning."

Itachi nodded. "I assume that the Sandaime had told you about the Uchiha battle which happened a decade ago, when Uchiha Madara and his supporters attacked the compound for the purpose of obtaining the forbidden scroll. Following Uchiha Madara's death at end of that battle, I've secured the scroll and hidden it. Since then, I have been approached by a number of foreign shinobi who wishes to know the location of the scroll."

"Scroll?" Her jaw tightened. "This is all because of the scroll?"

"Aa. All of those shinobi were working under orders, and all have been eliminated except the most recent one. The conversations we had led me to believe that they have at least one spy in Konoha."

The Hokage pinched the bridge of her nose as she hissed in annoyance. "I take it you know who is behind this, so carry on."

"There is no concrete evidence, but I have a suspect in mind." Not wishing to disclose Shisui's identity until he has spoken to him, Itachi diverted the topic, "I only realized who was involved further up the chain when I was approached by Uchiha Daisuke recently."

"Daisuke," Tsunade muttered thoughtfully. "The one who was loyal to Madara to the very end in that last battle. I thought he was dead."

"I thought so myself."

Tsunade's expression darkened. "So, Daisuke wants the scroll."

Itachi nodded. "His words made me believe that he intends to use Sakura to gain my cooperation." Ignoring Tsunade's hiss of annoyance, he continued, "This is one of the reasons why I did not wish to take a wife, despite my clan's insistence, choosing instead to have Sakura pretend to be my love-interest. She is… capable… of taking care of herself in the event that these situations occur." Even as the words left his mouth, Itachi felt a shot of concern for the pink-haired kunoichi.

"I see," Tsunade gritted out stonily before pinning stern eyes on him. She was growing increasingly angry. "You said you've been approached prior to this. How long has this been going on?"

"A few years."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "A few YEARS? You mean to tell me that you've been keeping this to yourself all this time?" she bellowed, jumping to her feet as she glared at him. "Not only that, you saw fit to put Sakura in danger without so much as a warning to us?"

Itachi stood his ground, even though part of him was a little unnerved by the Hokage's red face and shaking form. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade reached out for her sake, swigging it straight from the jar, as if to calm herself. "You realize that I could toss you in prison for this?" she snarled.

Itachi kept silent, his eyes remaining on the ceramic jar still clenched in the Hokage's hand.

"Answer me, Uchiha!"

The sake jar flew towards him, and Itachi sidestepped in reflex, allowing the jar to crash into the wall. As it shattered into pieces behind him, Itachi kept his eyes on the irate Hokage. He had seen her in this state before, but at that time, her ire had not been directed at him.

"Don't you dare avoid the next one!" she snarled.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he murmured, hoping that she would calm down enough to discuss the situation properly soon. "About Sakura…"

Exhaling loudly, the Hokage sank back in her chair. Her eyes shut as she pinched the bridge of her nose. And when her eyes opened again, Itachi was glad to see that she had regained some control over her fury.

"You're not down for any missions, are you?" she asked.

"My squad has no immediate assignments for the next few days."

"Then what are you waiting for, Uchiha?" she asked impatiently. "I'm sure you know enough from your eavesdropping to brief your teammates. Now go meet up with Team Kakashi. They have a prisoner with them." Her eyes narrowed. "Find out what is happening and get Sakura back."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

In moments, he was out of the building and making his way to his next destination. It did not take him long to round up his ANBU squad, giving them only the briefest of instructions. There was no time to waste.

Soon, all kitted up in their ANBU gear, the three of them streaked across the forest, in the direction of Team Kakashi. It was only then that the most vocal of their group spoke.

"What's really going on, Taishou? Who the hell took Sakura?" Genma asked as he sped forward, sounding worried.

"I do not know," Itachi responded quietly. Whilst he knew that Uchiha Daisuke was involved, Itachi was certain that there was someone else behind him. Daisuke was a follower, not a leader. But who could it be? Who was currently powerful enough to gain the Uchiha's loyalty?

"We will get her back," Shino declared evenly.

"Hm."

As they drew closer to their destination, an odd tension grew within Itachi, something he had rarely felt in the past. The thought of Sakura being hurt because of him was… unacceptable. Especially since he could have prevented such a situation by simply not commissioning the mission for her to act as his love interest. Then again, her strength was the reason he had chosen her, he reminded himself.

He was certain that if anyone could survive this, it would be Sakura. Even as he told himself that, his anxiety did not diminish. The urge to find her, to make sure that she was unharmed, was still pounding strong in him.

And it occurred to him then that the level of his concern for her was much more than what he usually felt for a mere colleague.

Strangely enough, that did not bother him.

000

* * *

000

Sakura woke up with a groan.

That was the least of her problems, though, for the moment her eyes opened, she found herself in an unfamiliar bedroom, laid on an unfamiliar bed. When she shifted her gaze, the view out of the large window opposite her immediately caught her attention. Her jaw dropped as she stared unblinkingly at the rocky outcrops scattered over the landscape. It was definitely not a place she recognized.

Where on earth was she?

Then everything came rushing back. The mission, Kabuto and the explosion which took her away from Sasuke. And last but not least, the battle with that blonde shinobi. Annoyance coursed through her at the realization that she had truly lost the battle to him, and was now most likely his prisoner.

A quick glance downwards told her that she was bound securely to the bed frame. Normally, that should not be too much of a problem, but she sensed that these ropes were chakra enhanced. She tried to move her arms and hissed at the pain the movement brought her. Yes, she was probably injured from that explosion, she thought grimly.

A quick scan told her that she had a dislocated shoulder, several patches of burnt skin and a deep gash on her left thigh. Tied up as she was, there was no way she could even heal herself.

The almost imperceptible sound of footsteps outside the bedroom door was the only warning she had before the wooden door swung open. Sakura's eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of her smirking captor.

"You! What the hell-" she began.

"Awake at last, hm?" he interjected blithely, striding towards her. "I was beginning to think I've overdone it, yeah."

She ground her teeth together, before asking, "Where am I?"

"Earth Country."

Her eyes widened. That sure explained the view outside the window. "Why the hell did you drag me all the way here?" she snarled.

His brows furrowed. "What's wrong with here, hm?"

She seethed. Was this guy really dense or was he simply annoying her for the heck of it? Glaring at him, she jerked her head towards the window. "What's wrong is I don't want to be here. It would be better if I was outside. Unbound. Free to return to Konoha."

A smirk made its way to his lips. "That's not going to happen, yeah. At least not on my watch."

There was something about him that annoyed the hell out of her. Perhaps it was his ridiculously long and feminine blonde ponytail, or that smug expression he wore. Or perhaps she was simply not amused by her current situation. Yes, that must be it, she thought dryly. Still, the whole situation was rather mystifying because she truly could not see why someone would bother to kidnap her, let alone carry her all the way to Earth Country. It was bizarre.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Because I was paid to do so."

"What?" she exclaimed incredulously. "Why the hell would anyone want you to kidnap me?"

"I don't know, yeah." His smirked widened, and he let his eyes run over her. "But I can't imagine why one would pay anything for you."

Was that an insult? Sakura's fury grew. Not only she had lost to him and ended up being kidnapped, now she had to take THIS from him?

"Shut up!" she snapped, jerking forward even though the painful movement almost brought tears to her eyes. "When I escape, you'll pay for this, you jerk!"

"Escape? How, yeah?" he taunted.

"I'll find a way," she shot back.

"Well, I'd advice you not to bother trying, because as well as those chakra ropes, I have chakra-enhanced seals placed around this room. You'll only burn yourself." He smirked. "Not that I care, of course, but my client probably wants you intact, yeah."

She glared at him. "And who is this client of yours?"

He shrugged. "I don't know who he is and I don't care."

"You're unbelievable," she hissed. "How could you work for someone without even knowing who they are?"

"Simple, yeah." He grinned. "I need the money and the mission provides an outlet for my art."

"Art?" she scoffed. "You're just some freak trying to justify your crimes."

His eyes narrowed instantly. "I don't need to justify anything, yeah. My art is a blast!"

She snorted. "This art you keep talking about is nothing but destructive jutsu."

His fists clenched. "It is ART!" he declared heatedly.

"Enough with all that talk about art already. They are simply clay explosives." Her tone was dismissive. "You just play with them like some kid and then toss them around."

Her words obviously hit a nerve, for the blonde standing over her reddened visibly in anger. "Listen, I don't get paid enough to take this shit from some second-rate kunoichi like you, yeah," he spat.

He insulted her again! Bristling, Sakura shot back, "Who are you calling second-rate, you freak!"

"A freak?!" he echoed incredulously.

The jerk had the nerve to look offended. She directed her gaze down to his hands. "Those hands…" she ground out. "Freak."

"These?" he exploded, holding out his palms to her. "THESE create the most beautiful work of art, you ignorant harpy."

"There we go with the art again," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Freak."

"I have a name, yeah!" he bit out. "So stop calling me a freak."

She raised a brow. "Tell me your name, so that when I get out of here, I'll make sure that Konoha hunts you down."

The cocky bastard actually smirked at her words. "Deidara. That's my name, and you don't need to bother telling your village about me. I'm already in the Bingo Books. S-class nin and all that shit, yeah," he boasted.

Pushing down her unease at the revelation, she stared at him unflinchingly. If he was fishing for a reaction from her, he was not getting it. She would show no fear and no weakness. She was a Leaf kunoichi and she would make her village proud, even though the fact that she was being held prisoner by an S-class nin did pose a serious problem.

"When will your client come for me?"

He shrugged. "Who said he will come, yeah? I might be bringing you to him."

His answer was designed to confuse her, and she knew it. Deciding that it was pointless to continue probing, she simply looked away from him to stare out of the window again. After a while, she finally heard the shinobi who called himself Deidara walk out of the room.

Only then did she allow herself to relax a little. Slumping back on the pillow, she released a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

Her situation was disturbing. Someone had paid this Deidara to kidnap her, but why? She was not an important figure in Konoha, nor did she possess some highly-coveted Kekkei Genkai like the Hyuuga or the Uchiha. So what did they want her for? Her medical skills? Surely that was a daft reason to kidnap someone. They could not force a medic to heal, after all, because they would leave themselves vulnerable to her instead.

She groaned out loud. The reason for her current situation was probably less important that the need to get herself out of it. By now, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke would probably have realized that she was gone. As far as she knew, Sasuke had no idea that this blonde even existed when she had gone off. Her team would figure out that she had been taken, but they would have no idea where to start looking for her, let alone who had taken her.

So, instead of relying on her teammates to rescue her, she had to come up with a plan of escape.

But how?

What was her greatest advantage over her enemy?

000

* * *

000

The ANBU squad sped to their destination, generally sacrificing stealth for speed. However, when they neared the rendezvous point, Itachi signaled his team to move into stealth mode. It was a standard procedure because none of them knew the situation they might encounter further ahead.

Not long afterwards, he noticed a number of familiar protection seals planted around the perimeter, which told him that they were on the right track. Carefully sidestepping the seals, he signaled his team to move forward.

The first person they came across was Hatake Kakashi, who obviously expected them, for he showed no surprise at their emergence. Sasuke and Naruto were not there, but Itachi could sense their presence nearby. They were probably securing the area further up.

"You're the tracking team, I presume," Kakashi remarked.

Even though they were masked, Itachi was certain that the Copy-Nin knew their identities. Nodding, he confirmed, "Yes. We are here to provide search and rescue."

"The Hokage briefed you?"

Genma interjected then, "Perhaps you should explain what happened. Just so that we don't miss anything."

Kakashi nodded. "Sure. We are here to investigate the recent poisoning of two Konoha's shinobi teams. The intel eventually brought us here, and we've been speaking to the villagers since we arrived to gather information." A pause followed before Kakashi added slowly. "I think that you should know that there is also something odd about the village. It seemed to have sprung up overnight, and now populated by the people from another village."

"Why?" Shino asked.

"Their previous village was burnt down. Kurenai's team was the one involved in that mission. There was something suspicious about it, but I can't remember the details. Any of you don't happen to know, do you?" Kakashi asked.

Itachi shook his head. He did not associate much with other shinobi outside work. He turned to Genma and Shino, only to see them shaking their heads as well.

"Ah, that's just too bad."

Sighing, Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose. The Copy-Nin was clearly disgruntled by Sakura's absence. But there was no time to dwell on such a thing. The important thing now was to find Sakura.

"When was Haruno Sakura taken?" Itachi asked.

"We separated into pairs for the investigation yesterday, and Sakura went with Sasuke to follow up on the leads they found the day before. They split up, and that was the last Sasuke saw of her." A dark shadow crossed Kakashi's face. "It is a little farfetched, but it is possible that the mission we've been assigned was simply a cover for the kidnapping."

Itachi was certain that it was. Daisuke had orchestrated the entire thing to get his hands on Sakura, no doubt intending to use the kunoichi as a bargaining chip. It irked him that he had not caught this in time.

Kakashi gestured at the unconscious shinobi bound to a nearby tree. The silver-haired, bespectacled man was not someone Itachi had seen before. This must be the prisoner Tsunade had referred to earlier.

"We also need to get him back to Konoha for interrogation, so my team needs to split up if you need us," the Copy-nin explained.

"Hm." Returning his attention to Kakashi, Itachi shook his head. His team worked best as it was. "That would not be necessary. We can track her down on our own. Your nin dogs could not find her scent?" he asked.

"No. They did not go on foot, that's for sure."

Itachi nodded. He suspected that Sakura might have been transported by air to avoid detection. It fitted well with what he knew about the blonde shinobi who had attacked him in the past. Gesturing to Shino, he assured Kakashi, "We have the means to track her."

"I need something of Sakura's," Shino said.

"Thought just as much." Reaching into his backpack, Kakashi withdrew a rectangle of folded fabric. "She has her belongings with her, but this is the pillowcase from the bed she slept in a couple of nights ago."

Taking it from Kakashi, Shino nodded, "That's sufficient to draw out the residue of her chakra signature."

At that point, Naruto and Sasuke made their presence known. Turning towards the direction they were coming from, Itachi waited until the two of them appeared from the surrounding forest. Unsurprisingly, like the Copy-nin, Sasuke recognized him even with his mask on.

"Ah, you ANBU finally made it here!" Naruto exclaimed, clearly ignorant of his identity. "What took you so long? We need to find Sakura!"

"Naruto," Kakashi chided wearily. "That's enough."

Ignoring the other two, Itachi caught his brother's expression before Sasuke could turn away. Instantly comprehending the reason behind it, Itachi gestured to his brother to come with him.

"Hey, where are you going, Teme?" Naruto began.

"Shut up, Dobe. I'll be back in a while," Sasuke muttered as he turned away.

When they were a short distance away from the others, Itachi spoke with a low voice. "Sasuke."

"Nii-san."

Itachi wanted to hear what had happened from him, since he was the last to see Sakura. "What happened?"

Sasuke inclined his head at the unconscious shinobi. "That's Kabuto. He's somehow involved in all this. We were at his store when we heard an explosion in the direction of the forest. That was where Kakashi and Naruto were scoping out, so Sakura grew concerned. She wanted to go to them to make sure they are alright, but Kabuto was trying to run away."

Somehow, it did not surprise Itachi. It was typical of Sakura's behavior. "Then?" he prompted quietly.

Wearing a grim expression, Sasuke said, "We split up." A pause followed as Sasuke's eyes dropped. "I should have gone with her."

"You would have lost Kabuto, then," Itachi pointed out.

"I know." Sasuke nodded, brows furrowing. "I just don't understand who could have taken her."

Itachi felt a stab of remorse. Sakura would not be in this position if he had not asked for her to act as his love-interest. However, this was not the time to broach the subject to Sasuke or the others. "The Hokage will explain once you return to Konoha."

Sasuke glanced sharply at him. "What do you mean, when we return to Konoha? What about Sakura?"

"Leave that to us," Itachi said calmly.

"But-"

"Hatake-san," Itachi called out, effectively cutting off his younger brother. "We are ready to proceed."

Kakashi turned to him and nodded. "Naruto, Sasuke, let's get our package back to Konoha."

At his proclamation, Naruto stiffened. "What?! I want to go save Sakura!" he cried out indignantly. "Why-"

"Naruto," Kakashi cut in. "We have our own mission to complete."

A scowling Sasuke added, "You could bring Kabuto back and Naruto and I could go with the ANBU."

Kakashi's tone was hard when he spoke. "Don't question orders, you two. I'm still the team leader. Now, go get Kabuto. We're returning to Konoha now."

Both Naruto and Sasuke were obviously reluctant, but they eventually nodded. As they went to Kabuto to pick him up, the Copy-Nin turned to the ANBU team.

"I'll leave you to find Sakura," he said. And then, in a harder voice, he added, "Make sure she gets back to Konoha in one piece, will you?"

Kakashi's tone did not sit well with Itachi, but he understood the other nin's concern. "We will not fail," Itachi assured mildly.

After a single nod, Kakashi turned away to join the rest of his team, leaving Itachi to his mission. Knowing that they had no time to waste, Itachi directed his attention to Shino, their tracker with a single instruction.

"Locate her."

000

* * *

000

Sakura swallowed a groan of frustration when her quick scan revealed the chakra signature of her captor. He was moving around downstairs.

When would he leave?

She had been there for at least twenty-four hours, Sakura thought as she eyed the sun rising in the horizon. And so far, she did not have a chance to put her plan in motion. That damned freak never left the house, and that posed a problem because she needed him gone before she could do anything. There was no point in trying if he was around because he would only stop her before she could escape.

It was fairly safe to assume that Deidara knew about her medical skills, but no one but Tsunade knew her level of expertise. After all, with her time mostly taken up in field missions nowadays, she had very little opportunity to use her more advanced medical abilities. This meant that no one would suspect that she could even do what she was planning to do.

She heard a loud thud from downstairs, followed by a colorful string of curses. Ignoring him, she focused on her plan. The chakra she had been deliberately building up and then storing within her body over the last one day would soon overflow, and she really did not want it to happen until her captor was away. Otherwise he would simply put a halt to her plans.

Closing her eyes, she hissed in frustration, resigned to the fact that she would either have to wait it out, or come up with a new plan. She had to focus on controlling her chakra levels in the meantime.

Another half a day passed, and it was almost evening when she realized that her opportunity had arrived.

Unsurprisingly, Deidara had not said a word about leaving. But it seemed that he had placed a clone or something downstairs, Sakura noted as she sensed the chakra from below. She only realized that it was a clone because of the lower level of chakra, not to mention it was slightly different from Deidara's usual one. It told her that the real Deidara must have masked his before leaving. She also suspected that he would release his chakra mask once he was a certain distance away from the house. After all, most shinobi would not be able to sense it at such a distance.

Sakura smirked. Deidara obviously did not know who he was dealing with. He was underestimating her abilities when it came to chakra detection. With that thought, she focused hard and turned her attention outwards, away from the house.

Almost immediately, she found it.

Deidara was some distance away and was currently moving further. She held her breath as his chakra signature grew more and more indistinct with time. Her heart thudded in anticipation as she waited for it to disappear completely.

When she could no longer sense it, a smile grew on her lips.

She waited another half an hour before she tensed in preparation to execute her escape plan.

The whole thing would only take moments, and she would need all her focus for it. Taking a deep breath to brace herself as she knew that this would be unpleasant, Sakura released a large portion of her stored chakra to her wrists and her ankles.

A bursting, burning sensation enveloped her appendages as her chakra flared out, instantly cutting her loose from her chakra-enhanced bindings. The overflow of chakra had exited as she had planned, burning off the ropes as her chakra overwhelmed Deidara's, but it also burnt her wrists and ankles.

She stifled a cry of pain as she shook away the ropes and stood up. For a moment, she swayed unsteadily on her feet, breathless from the exertion. It was important that she did not delay. Any shinobi would be able to sense the chakra surge from miles away, let alone Deidara's clone.

Still, her injuries needed to be taken care of, and she tried to heal the worst of it, leaving the minor ones for later. She had just enough time to snap her dislocated shoulder back into place before the clone appeared.

"Hey! What the hell, yeah!"

Sakura turned, launching herself at him. They grappled for a few seconds before her fist met his chest, sending him away with a puff of smoke. She knew that with his clone's disappearance, Deidara would be alerted to her actions. So, it was imperative that she moved into action before Deidara could make it back. Her other injuries had to wait.

Sakura spun around, searching the room. Her pack was nowhere to be found, but she could not afford the search the rest of the house for it. Much as she disliked the idea, she would just have to leave without it.

She shifted her attention to the far end of the room. Her target was the external wall surrounding the window. Yes, there was a chakra seal around it, but without a physical body to contain the seal, it would be useless.

Calling forth her chakra, Sakura drew her glowing fist back and let loose a punch.

Her fist hit the wall with a loud crack.

To her dismay, the stone wall only fractured, but held together. She could sense Deidara's chakra pulsing from it, still an effective barrier preventing her escape. The damned thing was stronger than she had expected.

"Come on," she hissed as she gathered more chakra into her fist.

Her second attack fractured the wall further, but to her frustration, it remained standing. Knowing that she could not stop now, she continued to attack the wall with all that she had. She would probably be out of chakra by the time she broke through, but she would worry about that later.

A rumble sounded before the wall finally gave under her assault, causing the roof to creak and droop from the loss of its support. Knowing that she had only seconds to escape before the building crashed upon her, Sakura jumped out of the hole she had made.

As she landed with a pained gasp on the stony ground beneath, the building groaned loudly. The landing was far from perfect, but after being tied up for so long, her limbs were a little out of shape. She turned around just in time to see stone after stone hitting the ground as the building began to collapse behind her. A cloud of dust soon enveloped the area, and she knew that it was her cue to disappear. Deidara would be here any moment now.

With that thought, she ran as fast as she could away from the partially demolished building, heading towards the furthest outcrops of rocks which could provide her with some cover. Considering how low her chakra level was, it was not too hard to hide the remaining from detection until she could find her way back to Konoha, which was, if she remembered correctly, was somewhere southeast of Earth Country. She would have to cross another country to get there, and she guessed that her best hope was to go through Grass Country.

Once she was hidden behind the rock outcrops, she stopped and scanned her surroundings. Her vision blurred suddenly, and she shook her head to clear it. Ignoring the pain coursing through her body, Sakura forced herself to focus. She did not have time or chakra to do much, but if she did not make an effort, Deidara would find her in no time at all.

Bunshins.

That was what she needed to throw Deidara off her tracks until she regained enough chakra to heal herself.

000

* * *

000

It had taken a day and what seemed like thousands of Shino's bugs to locate Sakura's trail. When the report came back, Itachi had been surprised to find that she had been taken to Earth Country. Without wasting time, they had immediately departed in that direction, arriving only a day later.

Now, standing in front of a stone building typical of this area, Itachi stared at one side of the building. That section of the building had been reduced to a pile of rubble, a sign that Sakura had been there. However, it was also clear that she had left a while ago. Whilst he was relieved that she was no longer in captivity, it also meant that they no longer knew where she was.

Shino stood beside him, a recently-arrived bug lifted on his hand to eye level as they communicated. When the bug had delivered the message, the Aburame turned to him. "They found four trails, spreading in all directions."

Itachi's lips tightened as comprehension dawned. Sakura had laid false trails, no doubt in order to avoid her captor. What was worrying was that she could have been recaptured by now. No one knew.

"Are there signs of other shinobi here recently?" Itachi asked.

Shino communicated with his bugs, and then turned to him with a nod. "One. Male. High chakra level, A-class or above. Distinct scent of clay. He is following the trail towards the south."

Itachi nodded in acknowledgement before he faced the building again. "Shiranui," he called out.

Genma stepped away from the rubble he had been inspecting, holding Sakura's familiar pack. "Taishou?"

"You will go with Aburame. Follow the male shinobi. He might have found Sakura. Either way, apprehend him." This shinobi might have further information on Daisuke. Itachi looked around, and then quickly created three kage bunshins. "Aburame, direct your bugs to lead my clones to the other three trails."

"Understood, Taishou."

The two members of his squad streaked away, and his three clones separated in different directions, following the bugs while Itachi remained there. He suspected that none of them would actually find Sakura. After all, this technique was something he had taught Sakura a few months ago.

Recalling what he had said to Sakura about not moving until she was certain that her clones had led her enemies away, Itachi glanced around the area. There were a number of rock formations nearby, but it was too close to be safe. Then, catching sight of a rocky outcrop further in the distance, Itachi decided that she would most likely hide somewhere there.

It took him almost half an hour to reach the area. Once there, his senses were on full alert. He stepped soundlessly around the tall, jutting rock formations, trying to locate Sakura in the shadowed crevices and underneath rock overhangs. She would have masked her chakra, which made it almost impossible to find her.

Activating his Sharingan, he scanned the area again.

Then he stilled when he glanced past a section of rocks. He thought he saw a glimmer of something. A swift flash of something. It was a seemingly innocent piece of rock, but something drew Itachi to it. Silently, he made his way there.

Then he saw it.

He would not have noticed anything if not for his Sharingan. A visual wave rippled over the rock, giving away the fact that it was some kind of genjutsu. It was a familiar technique, one which he had taught Sakura during one of their lunches.

She was here.

Stepping towards it, he quickly performed a series of seals.

"Kai," he called out evenly as he placed his hand on the so-called rock.

The genjutsu immediately dissolved, revealing what was behind it. Itachi sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening when he caught sight of the injured form slumped against a rock. Unconscious.

"Sakura…" he breathed out, darting forward to crouch before her.

His heartbeat sounding strangely loud in his ears, Itachi put his arms around her shoulders to shift her upright. It was then that he noticed the numerous burns covering her body, visible through the burnt patches of fabric, swallowing hard as he did so. Injuries were nothing new to him, so why did he feel so sickened by the sight of the red, raw skin adorning Sakura's form?

He inspected her condition further, noting that in addition to her injuries, she was probably dehydrated. Also, her almost non-existent chakra told him why she had not healed herself. The clones and the genjutsu must have taken the last of it.

"Sakura," he called out again, louder this time. "Wake up."

Her eyelids trembled, and then her eyes fluttered open. The emerald orbs were unfocussed.

Then she lashed out abruptly, forcing him to release her.

"Get away from me!" she yelled in a hoarse voice, clearly not recognizing him.

Itachi jerked back his head just in time to avoid a punch to his jaw. Even without chakra, he knew that her punches were not something to be looked down upon.

He pulled down his ANBU mask, revealing his face. Reaching out to renew his grip around her shoulders, he held her still, even though she tried to struggle away.

"Sakura, calm down. It's Itachi," he intoned firmly.

Her struggles ceased as her eyes finally focused on him. A myriad of emotions crossed her face. Suspicion, confusion and lastly, relief. At the sight, Itachi released the breath he had not realized he was holding.

"Itachi!" she cried out, flinging her arms around him. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Sakura pulled back slightly and then surged forward, planting a kiss on his mouth, surprising him. Her lips were dry and chapped, and it was not the most pleasant kiss they shared thus far.

But it was the most heartfelt one.

000

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000

A/N: More ItaSaku interaction coming up soon. Hope you've enjoyed this. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews for Chapter 10. It has been a while, I know, and I apologize for the delay. This is a longer chapter than usual, so I hope that would please you (smiles).

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 - Chapter 11**

Itachi was here.

Relief, and something else shot through Sakura as she clutched him close. She was so glad to see him that she had not thought twice about kissing him.

In fact, the act felt frighteningly natural.

But as grateful as she was for his presence, something at the back of her mind told her that she should really pull back. She was kissing Itachi, for goodness's sakes! Then, at the realization that Itachi might take offence at her assault on his person, she berated herself mentally. They were in the middle of nowhere and so, it was not necessary to act like lovers because no one was there to see them.

At that thought, Sakura peeled away cautiously, releasing her grip from around him. Their eyes clashed momentarily, and Sakura froze at the look in Itachi's onyx orbs. It was hard to tell what it was in the semi-darkness of pre-dawn. And before she could make sense of it, that odd look was gone, leaving him with his usual impassive expression.

What was it?

Feeling quite discomfited and not understanding why, she sought to put some distance between them by standing up. Her awkwardness was forgotten the moment pain shot through her body, making her squeeze her eyes shut. Yes, she had not had the chance to heal herself yet, seeing that all that remained of her chakra had gone to maintaining the genjutsu hiding her from view.

"Sit down," came an imperious command.

At the feel of a voluminous cloak enveloping her body, Sakura's eyes shot open to find Itachi staring at her with an uncompromising look. "I'll be fine," she responded, pulling the cloak more securely around her.

His brows furrowed slightly. "Do not be stubborn. You are in no condition to travel until you're healed."

She almost groaned out loud at his commanding tone. It was not as if she was not grateful for his presence, but… "I need to get out of here. Deidara might double back."

His eyes flickered, and an odd expression escaped on his face before he hid it behind his usual stoicism. "Deidara?" he queried blandly.

Itachi might not be the easiest person to read, but Sakura had been so exposed to him over the last few months that she actually understood what his look meant. Her brows immediately furrowed at the awareness that Itachi recognized the name. But why would he know someone like that? Konoha nins did not usually associate with random rogue nins, after all. And what made it even more suspicious was the fact that Deidara had been the one to kidnap her.

"You know him from somewhere, don't you?" she ventured cautiously.

His eyes flickered yet again, and this time, it was in surprise. "Was he alone?"

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out, not that she expected any less. Itachi tended to be evasive when it came to such things. "Where do you know him from?"

"This is not the appropriate time to broach the subject."

Irritation shot through her, but she had to concede that he was right. "Fine. Let's get out of here and then you tell me."

Once again, he did not answer her question. Instead, he turned and presented his back to her. "I'll carry you."

Carry her? Stunned, she could only gape at the back of his head, trying to process the information.

"Uh… What?" she exclaimed when she finally found her voice.

He glanced over his shoulder. "You are injured. You will only delay us in your condition. Especially in the dark."

"Uh… right," she muttered, feeling a flush running up her chest and shoulders.

For some reason, the idea of being carried by Itachi seemed so intimate. But it was ridiculous that she thought so because they had done 'couple' things like kissing, which was surely more intimate in nature, right? Him carrying her was just like a full body hug. Less than that, actually, since a hug was front to front, and him carrying her would be her front to his back.

She groaned out loud when she realized that she was rambling to herself.

"Sakura."

Her eyes snapped up to find him staring at her inquiringly. She found herself wishing that he would look away, but she knew that she was being ridiculous. Her injury must have affected her brain somehow, causing her to feel so out of sorts.

"What?"

"I was of the impression that you wish to leave," he said evenly.

She almost winced. "Alright."

Telling herself to stop her nonsense, she limped the two steps which separated them and then gingerly placed her hands on her shoulders. Was she not too old for a piggy-back ride?

"Sakura."

This time, she heard a hint of impatience in his voice. Before she could respond to it, a pair of warm, gloved hands clamped behind her knees. The next thing she knew, she was hoisted upwards onto his back. As her eyes widened in surprise, her arms shot around his shoulders, gripping him in reflex. Now, her chest was pressed so tightly against his back that she found it hard to breathe.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She licked her suddenly dry lips, thankful that he could not see her face, for he would definitely spot the blush that was spreading over her skin if he did. "Let's go," she managed to choke out.

And with that, he set off at a brisk pace.

Once they were moving, all her discomfiture evaporated to be replaced by physical pain. She winced as each step jolted her injury, but she knew that it could not be helped. It would have been worse if Naruto had been the one to carry her, because she knew that Itachi's movements were certainly smoother.

The thought of Naruto made her gasp.

Her team! How could she have forgotten about them?

"Itachi, what happened to my team?" she asked urgently. "We were on this mission and-"

"I know," he interjected calmly. "Team Kakashi sent a message to Konoha requesting backup. They briefed us on the situation and my ANBU squad was chosen to carry out the search for you. The last I spoke to your team leader, he was planning on returning to Konoha with his prisoner."

"Prisoner?"

"Kabuto."

"Oh." She let out a breath of relief. "They are all safe, then."

"Hm."

"So where are Shino and Genma?"

"Tracking your captor. Deidara. He needs to be apprehended."

Her eyes narrowed at the name, instantly furious. "The bastard would pay once I get my hands on him. He could have blown me up back then!"

"He would not."

"Huh? Why not? He tried hard enough." She frowned in confusion. And then let out a frustrated sigh. "Actually, this whole thing doesn't make sense to me. Why the hell did he kidnap me?"

Itachi simply continued to speed ahead without answering her. However, the subtle tensing of his shoulders fed her suspicion that he knew more than he was giving away. But then, he had said that he would answer her later, right? Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall their conversation earlier. Maybe 'later' was now.

"Itachi, you have met Deidara before?" she ventured.

"Later."

An impatient huff left her, but she knew better than to press him further. It was clear that Itachi was not planning on telling her anything until he was good and ready.

Resigned to it, and besides, she was too tired to pursue the matter further, Sakura let herself settle deeper against Itachi. The repetitive, rhythmic motion was making her drowsy. She felt him tense almost imperceptibly, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she rested her chin on his shoulder. Yawning, Sakura tried to keep her eyes open. It would not do to fall asleep and fall off his back.

It would be far too embarrassing to contemplate.

She needed to focus on something, and that something was definitely not the scenery, she thought as the greenery whipped past them. Yawning again, she turned slightly to the side and felt something brush against her neck. A quick glance to the side told her that his hair-tie was slipping and his hair was about to become unbound.

Without thinking, she took one hand from his shoulder and snagged the tie before it could fall off. Itachi darted an inquisitive glance at her, but at the sight of his hair-tie in her hand, he returned his attention to the front.

She rested her chin back on his shoulder, closing her eyes when his now-unbound hair brushed over her face. His earthy scent enveloped her senses, and unwittingly, she inhaled deeper. It was a familiar scent, she thought, and it somehow made her feel secure and protected. At the same time, it also made her feel warm and fuzzy, like she wanted to pull him closer and burrow her face into his neck. And this was all from his scent only.

Wait.

Her eyes shot open in alarm.

Was she actually sniffing him?

She groaned inwardly. Deidara had definitely done a number on her. What was she doing, sniffing Itachi? No doubt he would not thank her for it, if he knew what she was doing. Then again, it was not as if she could avoid it. He was carrying her, after all. Stuck so close to him, there was no way she could ignore it.

But she had to.

"Bind it."

His sudden instruction barely registered in her sleepy mind. "Huh?"

He did not turn around when he responded, "My hair will get in the way. Fasten the tie around it."

She blinked. "Oh."

Nerves jangling for some reason, she ran her fingers through his thick mass of hair, telling herself that she had good reason to do so before tying it. The silky strands caressed her hands gently, and she sucked in a deep breath. Her hands were shaking slightly when she brought the hair tie closer and bound his hair in its usual low ponytail.

"Thank you." His voice was quiet.

She nodded, even though he could not see it. It was just a simple thing, nothing to be freaked out about. She was just feeling out of sorts because she was tired.

Closing her eyes, she resolutely told herself to think of something else.

000

* * *

000

Itachi had been prepared to travel all the way from where he had found Sakura straight to Konoha without a break. However, he had noticed that Sakura was growing increasingly weary, even though she was being carried. Her injuries had bothered her greatly, even though she had admitted it. It had been obvious from the way she attempted to stifle her groans of pain each time he had landed on a tree trunk.

Eventually, just before nightfall, he had made the decision to stop and rest in a village in Waterfall Country, halfway to their destination. Sakura had protested, adamant that they should return to Konoha as soon as possible. There was also something in her mannerism then that suggested to him that she was anxious about something. Something that she did not want him to know, seeing how she attempted to hide it from him. It had disturbed him that she had found it necessary to keep something from him. In his recollection, she had never reacted to him in this manner.

Perhaps that was why he had insisted that they stayed at the inn. Whatever Sakura was hiding from him, it piqued his interest and now, he wished to know what it was.

No. Their break had nothing to do at all with the fact that he was growing increasingly discomfited by her proximity as the journey progressed. It had nothing to do with his awareness of how tightly she had been pressed against him, allowing him to feel her curves, bringing certain thoughts to his mind. Furthermore, it had nothing to do with how he kept recalling the way her fingers had slid through his hair, sending heat rushing through him with every stroke.

Those thoughts were wholly inappropriate, considering the state she was in.

Itachi shifted into a more comfortable position on his side of the futon. Leaning back against the wall, his brows furrowed. Those thoughts were unacceptable even if she was uninjured, he insisted to himself. Still, something told him that it was too late for him to do anything about it.

Yes, he recognized it as physical attraction.

It would not be an issue if it was just that. He could control his physical urges if that was all it was. However, it was more than that. She was more to him. He had already deduced that much over the last few days. The icy dread he had felt when he learnt of her kidnapping were not the only things that came to mind. His contemplations of Sakura had also grown more frequent of late, and he could see that it was leading him in one direction only.

She had started off as his brother's teammate, and then she had become his comrade. Then it had progressed to this charade that had begun as a mission, this farce of a courtship that had affected him more than he could ever have anticipated. The whole thing had snuck up on him, and he had been too stubborn to acknowledge it until it was too late for him to do anything about it.

And now…

Now…

He glanced at the sleeping form next to him on the futon and was immediately flooded by a feeling that, although he had experienced more frequently of late, had not given a name to. But now, with everything that had happened, he could name it.

Affection.

He was truly beginning to have feelings for her. At the revelation, he continued to run his eyes over her. She was sleeping on her side, wrapped in the cloak he had draped over her earlier, which hid her bloodstained form from view. Her eyes were screwed shut, a small furrow between her brows betraying her discomfort at her still-unhealed injuries.

His gaze dropped to her lips. Lips that had kissed him in the name of the farce of a courtship. Lips that tempted him to do more, to further the intimacy. It was something that he had been sorely tempted to do when he had found her earlier. She might have kissed him out of gratitude, but that was not the case for him.

He dragged his eyes away and fixed them to the window he had warded earlier. The additional precaution was necessary, especially since neither Genma nor Shino had made contact yet. It meant that Sakura's kidnapper, Deidara, was still at large.

Itachi's lips thinned. Genma and Shino would not stop until they have apprehended the rogue nin. And if they were to return empty-handed, he would personally go out on a hunt and make sure that this time, Deidara ended up in Konoha's underground containment cells.

The futon shifted slightly, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced to the side to see Sakura stirring, cheeks strangely flushed. Much to his consternation, she began to toss around restlessly. Although her movements were limited by the cloak covering her body, she managed to almost fall off the futon, and only stopped because he placed a hand on her shoulder to restrain her.

And that was when her lips parted, releasing a soft moan.

Itachi tensed at the sound.

One might think that she was moaning because of the pain of her injuries, but Itachi doubted that it was the case. It seemed more likely that she was having a dream of a certain nature. And the notion of Sakura having such dreams…

He shook his head to clear it.

"Sakura," he called out, his voice slightly hoarser than usual.

She whimpered, a sound that made him suck in a sharp breath. Her unconscious actions were about to bring forth some uncomfortable reactions from his own body. Knowing that he could not let it continue, he tightened his grip on her shoulder.

"Wake up, Sakura."

"Huh?" she mumbled, eyes still closed. Her brows furrowed, as if she was displeased by the interruption to her dream.

He shook her slightly, and her eyelids fluttered in reaction. She was a little disoriented, but it was not long before her eyes snapped open in full alertness. That was when those emerald orbs snapped to his. Something like shock flashed across those eyes before she averted them, this time seemingly in embarrassment.

"Can you move?" he queried, for the lack of anything else to ask.

"Hello to you too," she rasped, wincing as sat up abruptly.

He frowned at her voice. Reaching down for the bottle of water in the pack next to the futon, he offered it to her with a single instruction. "Drink."

She took it gratefully and tilted her head back to drink deeply. His gaze dropped to her slender throat, watching its gentle undulations as she swallowed.

And he shifted his eyes away before any specific notion could enter his mind.

"Thanks," she said a little while afterwards, sounding notably less hoarse. A soft groan escaped her before she asked, "How long have I slept?"

"Four hours." He gazed at the window. "It is almost dawn. We should leave soon."

"Okay. Can we stay an hour more or so? I think I might just have enough chakra to heal the worst of my injuries," she muttered. "You can't be carrying me all the way back to Konoha."

He said nothing to that. But yes, it was probably sensible for her to heal her injuries before they travelled. His recent thoughts were discomfiting enough as they were without additional provocation.

"Itachi?"

"Hm?"

"What's with the window?"

Realizing that his gaze was still fixed to the window, he slowly turned to face her. She was eyeing him questioningly, no doubt wondering why he was not looking at her. His behavior must appear quite peculiar to her, since she was unaware of what was running through his mind. And he intended to keep it that way. The alternative was too unsettling for him to contemplate at the moment. He had yet to decide what he should do about it.

"Itachi?" she prompted, frowning slightly now.

"Nothing," he responded evenly. Deciding to divert her attention to more important matters, he asked, "How bad are your injuries?"

"Not so bad that I can't heal them." Looking down, she grimaced. "I have blood everywhere," she remarked, plucking at her jounin vest. It was charred and bloodstained in several locations, and the long-sleeved top under it was not in a better condition.

Itachi stood up from the bed and went to the shelves nearby. There was a stack of towels there, complement of the inn. He took two from the stack and brought them to her.

Inclining his head towards the attached en-suite bathroom, which was one concession the inn had made for the sake of modern convenience even though it did not quite fit with the traditional theme of the rest of the room, he advised, "You should wash away the blood before you heal yourself."

She took the towels from him. "Thanks."

With that, she stood up slowly, her face screwing up in pain as she did so. He watched as she hobbled to bathroom, which was separated from the rest of the bedroom by a paper-thin shoji screen. The light soon went on, and much to Itachi's consternation, the outline of her body was clearly visible through the insubstantial barrier.

He turned his back to her and sat back down on the futon, giving her some privacy, knowing that if he watched, the image of her undressing would probably never allow him any peace for the foreseeable future. While he could admit that the physical attraction was present, he had no intention of making it worse.

So he stared down at the floor, studying the tatami mat underneath his feet. The sound of fabric rustling reached his ears, and he tried to ignore it.

Suddenly, he heard a loud exhalation from the bathroom. "Damn it!" she hissed in frustration.

He blinked slowly, not turning around. She was obviously struggling with her clothing.

"Itachi?"

He tensed, sensing what was coming with growing unease. Keeping his tone even, he returned, "Yes?"

A few seconds passed before she spoke again, her reluctance unmistakable in her voice. "Can you help me? I can't do this myself."

Even though he had anticipated it, his entire body snapped taut at her request. Helping her in such a manner certainly would not do him any favors. But he knew that he could not refuse. So, slowly, he turned around and made his way to the bathroom.

He knocked.

"It's not locked."

When he opened the door, he found her standing in front of the bathtub with her back facing him, a towel clutched to her front and his cloak in a puddle around her feet. She was still dressed from waist down, but now, Itachi could see what the problem was. The fabric of her jounin top was stuck to her shoulders, melted into her skin, he noted with a small grimace. It was worse than he thought. The true extent of her injury had not been clear in the near-darkness when he had found her, and later, had been obscured from his view by the cloak he had wrapped around her.

"Not pretty, is it?" she asked wryly, glancing over her shoulder at him. Eyes flickering with hesitation, she continued, "I tried to clean it up, but if it is like anything at my front, it is a bit of a mess. I can't see what I'm doing, so-"

"I'll do it," he interjected calmly.

He closed the distance between them. At this proximity, he could see the stain of fresh blood against the dark, mangled fabric. Reaching out, he placed one hand on her shoulder to steady her as he used his other hand to pick away the burnt fabric from her flesh.

Her body jerked and she hissed as he removed the first few pieces, and he gentled his touch. With each piece he removed, his lips thinner further in fury. Only half her back was left unburned, and the contrast between the healthy, smooth skin and the raw, burnt injury was stark. Deidara's smirking face flashed across his eyes, and Itachi had to suppress the flare of anger which coursed through him. The urge to see the blonde nin suffer welled within him.

And then, as he continued, she shivered, goosebumps now spreading over her skin.

"Are you cold?" he asked, his hands stilling.

She cleared her throat. "A bit. But it's okay." A moment of silence passed before she added, "Anywhere near done?"

"Nearly." And he commenced his ministrations.

A grunt escaped her.

He worked in silence for a few minutes more. Only when he was certain that her back was free from any burnt clothing that he stepped away from her. His hands clenched beside him as he surveyed the damage, feeling his anger boiling forth.

"Itachi?"

She sounded uncertain, almost wary. Perhaps she had sensed his anger.

Deciding that he needed some air, he announced, "I'm going out." Taking a step towards the door, he added, "Stay in the room. It is warded."

"Okay."

"I will return with some food."

"Okay."

000

* * *

000

The moment he left her, Sakura breathed easier.

Exhaling loudly as she sat down, leaning against the smooth surface of the wooden tub, she wondered if Itachi had felt her growing tension as he stood behind her. She had held herself so still, so rigid that she could have snapped in two at the merest encouragement. She doubted that he was that oblivious, but then again, he was a man. And males could be a little dense when it came to such things.

Sakura fervently hoped so.

That stupid dream she had before Itachi had woken her up sure had a lot to answer to. How could her subconscious do something like that to her? How could it present a naked Itachi to her in her dream, doing things that she would never imagine him doing to her? And how could she allow herself to remember the dream in such disturbingly vivid clarity just when he had been helping to clean her up?

Because it would be really awkward if Itachi knew that each time his fingers had skimmed her skin, she had to forcibly suppress a shiver. Now, it would not be so bad if it was just a run-of-the-mill shiver. But it was a shiver of desire.

She shook her head roughly. He could not have guessed what had been running through her mind, right? Itachi might be good at a lot of things, but he was not a mind reader. He probably thought that she was really just cold.

Thumping the side of her head against the bathtub, she chided herself sternly. How could she be thinking perverted thoughts while the man had been peeling burnt clothes away from her bloody back? She had been in pain, and still was, and yet, she had not been able to stop her wayward mind from conjuring up all sorts of things she had no business thinking about.

Groaning out loud, she buried her face in her palms. So the dream she had of him naked in the river was just the beginning. It was almost like her subconscious was trying to warn her about what she should have realized before this. Foolishly, she had brushed those warnings aside, ignoring her reactions whenever they had shared a kiss or touched in the past, telling herself that it was part of the show, part of her mission. And she had tried to do the same yesterday, after their first… um… private kiss. Only that the excuse did not make sense at all because no one was there to see them.

She did not even want to think of the less than innocent thoughts which ran past her mind when he had carried her on his back.

Perhaps it was time to admit that what she felt for Itachi was far from platonic. Whatever it was, it was quickly getting out of hand. Their 'relationship' was supposed to be a mission, for crying out loud. She should be professional enough to carry out something like this without developing a crush on her client, of all people. How was anyone supposed to take her seriously if this ever came out in public? And how would Itachi react if he found out.

She could not bear to think about it.

But wait…

She frowned thoughtfully. Maybe she was overreacting. As far as she knew, Itachi knew nothing of her inner turmoil. Although she had slipped up a little, it was nothing too obvious. Therefore, the situation could still be salvaged. All was not lost. If she could rein in her wayward thoughts and keep better control of her responses, she could pull this off. No one has to know that she had a crush on her client. Itachi did not have to know. And in time, like all crushes, this one would go away too, right?

Relief coursed through her then. Yes. It would work, she decided as she straightened up. She had panicked for no reason whatsoever. Overreacted before she thought things through. But now, everything was alright…

Right?

Yes. It was alright, she told herself. Just act normal and everything would be okay. Acting was a big part of her skills as a kunoichi, after all. Itachi had hired her to act as his love interest, and she had done so convincingly right from the beginning when all she felt for him was respect as her captain. How hard could it be to pretend that she felt nothing for him except that?

Now that that was settled, it was time to fix herself. With that thought, she stood up with a wince. She could have used some chakra to numb her pain, but she knew that it would be a waste. As it was, she barely had enough to heal herself completely.

So, gritting her teeth, she proceeded to step into the tub of lukewarm water.

"Ow… Stings… stings…" she hissed between clenched teeth, willing herself to remain there and wash until she was clean.

A while later, when her blood had tinged the water pink, she rose from the tub and drained it. Dragging a clean towel to her, Sakura dried herself gingerly as she sat on the rim of the tub.

Only after that did she channel her healing chakra to her hands to begin mending her injuries. Time passed, but as focused as she was on her task, she paid it no mind. She did not stop until all her injuries were healed, leaving her with only a small amount of chakra.

Satisfied with her work, she exhaled loudly and stood up.

"Whoa…" she muttered as she swayed a little, dizzied by the effort of healing herself.

When she regained her balance, she walked across the bathroom to the pile of clothes on the floor. She frowned at it, knowing that the clothes were too damaged to be worn ever again. But Itachi's cloak was okay. Picking it up, she went to the door. She needed some spare clothes.

Standing at the door, she listened intently as she wrapped the damp towel around herself. Had Itachi returned yet? Not hearing anything that indicated Itachi's presence, she decided that it was alright to leave the bathroom, skimpy towel and all. So she stepped out of the bathroom and scanned the room for her belongings.

That was when she remembered that she had never found her pack.

"Oh, no," she groaned dejectedly. What should she do now?

She took another glance around the room, and her eyes landed on Itachi's pack. He should have a spare set of clothing in there. Her feet brought her closer to the pack while she pondered the wisdom of borrowing his clothes without his permission. She supposed she could wait until he returned, and then ask, but that would mean waiting for him in this skimpy towel.

Sakura decided that she preferred to risk his wrath.

Mind made up, she knelt down and opened his pack, brushing away the twinges of uneasiness at the fact that she was picking through Itachi's belongings. The pack contained mission stuff only, from the looks of it, so it was not as if she was going through his personal things, she told herself as she pushed aside a tube of weapon cleaner.

It did not take her long to locate his spare clothes, tucked almost at the bottom of the pack. Extracting a black sleeveless ANBU top and matching pants, she closed the pack and stood up. Then she stared at the clothes in her hands. The idea of wearing Itachi's clothes seemed so… personal.

She huffed at herself, annoyed by her thoughts. This had nothing to do with the attraction she held for him. It was simply a practical move, borrowing his clothes. He could not expect her to run around in a towel until she got some new clothes, right?

Dropping the towel, she shook out the clothes. She would wear them and deal with the consequences afterwards.

She had just pulled the pants on and fastened it when there was a surge of chakra behind her. A gasp of surprise escape her as she spun around, hands reflexively going around her bare chest.

And she froze.

Itachi was standing there, the white smoke of his transportation jutsu dissipating around him.

He was staring at her.

For a few seconds, shock kept her rooted to the spot. Her mind went blank at his unexpected appearance, at such an inconvenient moment. She was just standing there and Itachi was… he was…

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance when her mind clicked into place.

What did he think he was doing?

"Are you... DONE staring at me?" she hissed, outraged and embarrassed at the same time.

He blinked once, looking strangely bewildered for a moment. And then, languidly, as if nothing untoward had happened, Itachi turned away and walked past her towards the window. "Finish dressing. We are leaving," he instructed evenly.

Her lips parted in surprise. That was all he was going to say? No apology or anything of that sort even though he had appeared without warning as she was changing? The man had some nerve, she fumed.

"That's all you have to say?" she blurted out before she could stop it.

He slanted a glance at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Is something else the matter?" he queried smoothly.

She was glaring at him now. Was he deliberately being dense?

And then a thought struck her, and she paused in her inner rant.

Maybe he was not reacting to her half-naked form because it simply had not affected him at all. Because as far as he was concerned, she was just a kunoichi, a comrade. Nothing more. There was no reason for him to think otherwise, was there? Unlike her, who was quickly developing some sort of… attraction towards him, even to the extent of having naughty dreams about him. Twin spots of heat rose to her cheeks at the recollection.

He was probably thinking that she was making a big deal out of nothing, and was no doubt puzzled by her annoyance. Things like modesty probably should not be very high in the priority of a kunoichi when they were on a mission. That was how they were meant to pull off seduction missions. But then again, she and Itachi were not on a mission at the moment, were they?

Oh, she was just rambling in her mind again.

Her cheeks heated further, and she bit her bottom lip uncomfortably. He was still regarding her wordlessly out of the corner of his eyes, his expression more unreadable that she had ever seen it.

How should she fix this mess now?

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Was she deliberately trying to tempt him?

Itachi's entire body was taut, held tightly in check by his rigid self-control as the kunoichi before him continued to stare at him. He kept his eyes firmly fixed above her neck. She was still half-nude, covering her chest with her arms, as if it made any difference at this point.

Because he had already seen what she was trying so hard to shield.

When he had first appeared in the room, he was stunned into immobility by the sight that had greeted him. Her healed form was unblemished, the curve of her back smooth and… enticing, leading down to the twin dimples at the base of her spine, just above the low-slung pants. The sight had immediately knocked the breath out of him.

And then she had spun around to face him, exposing her unbound breasts to his view before she brought her arms up to cover herself. The image had burnt itself firmly in his mind and Itachi had a feeling that it would be difficult to forget what he had seen. But as difficult as it was, he had to. Because the impropriety of the situation called for it, and he had no intention of making the situation as unsettling for Sakura as it was for him. It was not necessary for her to know how she affected him.

Why was she still standing there?

Belatedly, he noted that the pants covering her bottom half was most likely his, considering that her pack was still with Genma. Itachi's hands clenched once into fists before he slowly loosened them. The notion of Sakura wearing his clothes sent a rush of something he could not identify through him.

"Sakura," he prompted, glad that the tightness in his voice was almost imperceptible.

She blinked. And he saw the color in her cheeks heighten. She had been offended earlier, but now it seemed that she was embarrassed. "I… uh…" Hands still crossed, pressing a piece of black fabric to her chest, she continued, "I borrowed your pants and vest. Is that-"

"It is fine," he interjected in a deceptively calm voice. "Hurry. We don't have much time."

Her mouth opened, and then closed. She looked away once, and then back at him. A frown appeared between her brows. "We don't have much time?" Eyes widening suddenly, she gasped, "Deidara is heading this way, isn't he?"

He nodded once, and that was enough to jolt her into motion, much to his relief. She turned her back to him. Itachi looked away abruptly when she began to pull his vest over her head. If her earlier reaction was any indication, she would not appreciate his attention.

His trip out of the inn had been shorter than expected. He had returned without the promised food the moment he sensed the approach of a vaguely familiar chakra signature, and another unfamiliar one. Itachi knew that a fight would be unavoidable once their enemies caught up, therefore it was best that they left the inn. It would not do to involve civilians in this.

What concerned him slightly was the absence of the two chakra signatures he had hoped to detect. The fact that he had detected two enemy chakras most likely meant that Deidara had aid in subduing Genma and Shino. If that was the case, how bad had the encounter been?

However, there was another possibility. His two team members might have decided to hold back from attacking considering the uncertain odds of fighting two rogue shinobi, choosing to trail Deidara and the unknown shinobi instead. In that case, Genma and Shino could be close by, but still too far for him to locate using his Sharingan.

"I'm done. Let's go."

When he turned around, she was fully dressed, with the cloak thrown over her shoulders. His clothes were looser on her than they were on him, but that was to be expected. Nodding, he gathered his belongings and left the room. In matter of minutes, they were out of the small village.

Once they left civilization behind, they were surrounded by what the country was famous for; a wide river and the occasional waterfall. For a while, they travelled along the rocky bank of the river, leaping carefully from boulder to boulder before Sakura broke the silence.

"How far behind is he?"

Itachi glanced sideways at her, noting that even though she seemed completely recovered from her injuries, she was not at full capacity. Her chakra level was quite low, probably the result of her earlier healing. He would have preferred her at full capacity, but it was unlikely to happen. It meant that they would be at a disadvantage because he could not fight both of their adversaries at the same time.

"They are three miles or so behind us."

Which was nothing in shinobi terms. Itachi knew that they could not allow the two enemies to catch up until Genma and Shino were at least within his range of detection.

"They?" She stopped abruptly on a flat piece of rock. Water from the river splashed up, dampening her sandals, but she did not seem to notice it. "Wait! There's more than one?"

Stopping beside her on the same piece of rock, he nodded. "Aa."

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" she cried out in an irritated voice.

Why had he not done so? Because he had been somewhat distracted by her, perhaps. "You know now," he murmured.

She huffed, frowning. "Come to think of it, I believe you agreed to tell me how you knew Deidara."

He directed a pointed glance at the winding river in front of them. "We should move."

"Tell me about Deidara," she demanded, not moving an inch.

Her stubbornness irked him, but he knew that she would listen to reason. Even though it was only an excuse to delay explaining to her. "There is no time for that. You are not in a condition to fight. We need to avoid Deidara and his accomplice until the rest of the squad catches up."

Her eyes widened in comprehension. "Oh."

Without another word, she turned her attention back to their path and began to move. Itachi took a moment to glance behind him, focusing his senses and his Sharingan, but to his displeasure, detected no sign of Genma or Shino. Knowing that there was nothing much he could do about the situation, he turned back around and followed behind Sakura.

When he caught up with her shortly afterwards, he caught an anxious look from her.

"You said Genma and Shino are looking for Deidara?" she asked as she continued to move forward. "How? I mean, I left a few false trails."

"Deidara followed one trail, so it was a simple matter for them to follow. My clones were sent to the rest of the trails."

"Do you think they are alright?"

He did not answer, for he simply did not know. If it was the two of them against Deidara, then Itachi could be certain of the outcome. But the appearance of the unknown shinobi made it difficult to deduce what might have happened.

"They will catch up, right?" she asked distractedly, almost as if she was talking to herself.

If they did not, then he and Sakura would simply have to do their best to fight, and then capture the two enemies. The odds were not good, but they did not have any other options.

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The deafening roar of water crashing down from a great height filled her ears as Sakura neared the waterfall. She almost groaned out loud when she eyed the steep cliffs on either side of the plumes of water. The parts in contact with the water were covered with moss, making it hazardous to climb.

Running all day meant that her chakra store had no chance to replenish much. It meant that she would have to scale the damned cliff without the aid of chakra because she needed to conserve the minuscule amount she had left, just in care Deidara and his buddy caught up with them.

Great. Just great, she huffed as she glared up at the water-slicked cliff.

"I'll go first," she announced, tossing a glance back at Itachi.

He nodded once.

Without further ado, Sakura began to climb, finding handholds and footholds in the natural crevices within the near-vertical surface. When she was about a quarter way up, she paused to glance behind her. At this level, she had a better view of the surrounding. However, she still could not detect their pursuers.

"Where are they?" she asked.

Itachi, who was further down, responded after a moment, "I cannot sense them."

Without looking down, Sakura guessed, "They are masking their chakra?"

"Aa."

She frowned as she curled her fingers around a protruding rock. The fact that they bothered to mask their chakra meant that they were close by. It meant that she and Itachi had to get off this damned rock face before their enemies arrived. Hoisting herself up, she continued to climb upwards, all the while wishing that she could use her chakra for this. It would make things a lot easier.

Then she slipped.

She did not know how it had happened, but one moment, she was progressing nicely upwards and the next, she was free falling.

Her fall was broken by an arm clamping around her waist, squeezing the breath out of her. Sakura could only gasp as said arm tightened around her, holding her securely. Her eyes shot up to find Itachi staring down at her with an unreadable look.

"I should just use my chakra," she remarked sheepishly.

"No. You need that for battle. Hold on tighter," he instructed.

She blinked in bewilderment, and then realized that he meant to help her up. Then she noted that that she was still gripping his ANBU vest. Her hold loosened, and then she shifted until her arms were looped around his neck. Her stomach was plastered to his side, and she was glad that there was the thick layer of his ANBU vest to provide a barrier between them.

"Okay, I'm ready," she breathed out, slightly embarrassed at the situation. Playing the helpless maiden did not suit her.

Firmly supported by Itachi, she soon found herself at the top of the waterfall. The entire climb, with the extra burden of her weight, did not faze him at all, she noted when she stepped away from him. He was scanning their surrounding calmly, not even out of breath.

Inclining his head up the river, he murmured, "Let's move."

Nodding, she followed beside him as he ran along the side of the river. As she ran, however, the incident back at the waterfall remained on her mind.

Even though she was trying her best to conserve chakra, she knew that she would be in trouble once Deidara and his accomplice caught up, and she was certain that they would. Her chakra level was nowhere near optimum, even though she could possibly force out a jutsu or two if the situation became critical. She could not keep relying on Itachi, not to mention she did not want to.

That meant that she had to find an alternative method to fight. Without using chakra.

Her eyes flicked to the shinobi moving beside her. Reaching out, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Itachi?"

He slanted a questioning glance at her, stopping as she did.

"Can I… erm…" She hesitated, not knowing if the ANBU captain would be willing to part with his weapon. "Can I borrow your katana? Please?"

A dark brow arched slightly. "You are capable of using it?" he asked quietly.

Slightly affronted, she retorted, "Basic training." And then her lips twitched at the recollection of her training. "Kakashi might not be the greatest sensei, but thankfully, he had not neglected that portion of the syllabus. Sort of."

"You seem amused by the memory," he commented.

She grinned sheepishly. "Kakashi only had to come between Naruto and Sasuke about a hundred times to stop them from mutilating each other in the name of 'friendly' rivalry."

"And your training?"

She turned her eyes back to the slippery rocks lining the river banks, slightly uncomfortable at the topic now. "Mine is alright. Normal, I guess."

"You were paired up with your sensei."

"Ah, not exactly."

She was not exactly fond of that period of her life. That part of her training had occurred almost six years ago, when she was thirteen, but she could still remember how she used to wish Kakashi would pay her a little bit more attention. Her sensei had paid more attention to Naruto's and Sasuke's progress, leaving her to practice on her own with minimal supervision. It was a good thing she had been bookish enough to study everything the library had on swordplay, or else she would have been completely useless at it. And of course, she also had Tsunade to help her on occasion.

"Sakura?"

Itachi's voice snapped her out of her contemplations. Pasting a smile on her face, she turned to him. "Sasuke didn't tell you anything about our training, did he?"

Onyx orbs regarded her steadily. "He often spoke about Naruto and himself."

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing about how I practice on Kakashi's bunshin, while Kakashi spend most of his time making sure they didn't kill each other, I guess."

Itachi's brow rose. "Perhaps he was of the opinion that you don't need additional supervision. Furthermore, his bunshin would have informed him of your progress."

"Additional supervision? He barely supervised me since I was training under Tsunade half the time."

"The Godaime is the better teacher to develop your abilities. Your sensei knew that."

She crossed her arms over her chest, disgruntled by his words. "You sound almost as if you're defending him," she grumbled.

"It is merely my opinion."

"So much for feeling indebted to you for making Naruto and Sasuke realize that I'm part of their team," she muttered darkly. "I should have known that what happened outside Tsunade's office almost two years ago was just a coincidence."

"It was not."

Sakura frowned. "You're confusing me."

"Your sensei has always been aware of your ability, even though he might not make the effort of showing it. Naruto and Sasuke, however, were not as perceptive. They took you for granted. The first time you joined my team was the first time they became aware of the possibility of losing you."

Her eyes widened in comprehension. "So you took the opportunity to give them a wakeup call then?"

"So to speak."

She mulled over his words. What he said made sense, as usual. Kakashi was not the most expressive of humans and he was lazy enough to take the easy way out, such as fobbing her off to Tsunade if he had enough of a reason.

Okay, fine, she relented reluctantly. It was just as well that she had studied under Tsunade, or else she would not be where she was today.

"Take it."

Itachi's katana was thrust under her nose. Taking it from him, she looked into his eyes. "Thanks." She flicked her eyes down to the katana before she looked back up. "Not just for this, but for all that-"

"Sakura-" he interjected, tensing visibly as he did so.

"Wait, let me finish," she cut in. "I-"

His hand on her shoulder and the warning light in his eyes brought her words to a halt. "We have company," he announced.

"Don't let me interrupt anything, yeah," came a familiar voice.

Sakura spun around, hardly believing what she was hearing. And sure enough, Deidara hovering up in the air on his ridiculously oversized bird some distance away, staring at them with a mocking look. Her hands tightened instantly on Itachi's katana.

"You!" she snarled, taking a step towards the blonde. "I'll kill you!"

"Sakura," Itachi intoned, caution dripping from his voice.

"Tsk… Tsk…" Deidara shook his head as he landed on the ground. "I feel sorry for you, Uchiha. Having a girl like her must be a pain, yeah."

Sakura felt a vein pop. "Why you-"

A hand clamped around her elbow, stopping her from attacking the smirking blonde nin. She turned to find Itachi shaking his head at her. But before she could say a word, another surge of chakra caught her attention.

She spun around, and her eyes widened at the sight of another nin and a puppet standing close to Itachi. The nin was a redhead, and his expression appeared strangely inanimate, almost like the puppets standing close to him. Her eyes slid to his hitai-ate, noting that he was a missing-nin from Suna.

"Your concern for the kunoichi is clear for all to see, Uchiha," the redhead suddenly remarked. "It is understandable, seeing who she is."

Sakura's eyes widened. The rogue nin must be referring to their farce of a relationship. Darting a glance to the side, she noted that Itachi's expression was unreadable. But she knew that meant nothing, for Itachi was a master of hiding his feelings.

"This is nothing personal. We don't need to fight. In fact, we did not even need to take her if you had chosen to cooperate in the first place. You know what we want, Uchiha." His eyes narrowed meaningfully. "Just hand it over and we'll leave."

Her brows furrowed in thought. And then she gasped as realization dawned. What the hell? She had been kidnapped to be used as leverage against Itachi. They had some nerve. What did they want from Itachi anyway? And how long had this been going on? Come to think of it, this was probably how Itachi had encountered Deidara.

"That is not possible," Itachi replied calmly, bringing her inner rant to a halt and her attention back to their conversation.

Deidara snorted. "I told you he wouldn't listen, yeah."

"Had to try."

Then one of the puppets moved.

Her eyes widened in horror. "Itachi! Watch out!"

But Itachi had seen the puppet flying towards him and reacted swiftly. His hands blurred and with low murmur of the name of a water technique she did not quite catch, water from the river surged high up into the air.

The column of water crashed into the puppet before it could reach the unfazed nin.

"Not bad, but hardly impressive," the red-headed shinobi remarked.

And then the battle commenced in earnest. Sakura could only watch, wide-eyed as the rogue nin manipulated his puppets skillfully, using them to attack Itachi, who countered with a blinding array of jutsu. They traded blows back and forth, each not relenting even a little.

And soon, there was only one puppet left.

Itachi released a fire technique. Balls of flames erupted from the ground, filling the air with the scent of burnt earth. The sheer number of the fireballs meant that very little would escape them. True enough, a fireball soon enveloped the puppet. Fire licked over its entire form as its movement slowed, and then… it stopped.

Unbelievably, Sakura heard the sound of mocking laughter. She snapped her gaze to a certain blonde nin to find him laughing out loud, clutching his stomach, as if the elimination of his comrade's puppets was something that amused him to no end. Staring incredulously, she could not help but wonder if the guy was insane.

Still laughing, Deidara taunted merrily, "That's pathetic, yeah, Sasori. Told you my kind of art is far more superior to yours."

The one he called Sasori growled. "You over-estimate yourself. And what are you doing standing there?"

"Well… I think I'm just going to watch, yeah," Deidara said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's entertaining."

Sakura glared at him.

"Be silent," growled the red-headed nin as he withdrew something from within his cloak.

At that angle, Sakura could not see what it was. Two puffs of smoke materialized. And then her eyes widened as two more puppets appeared right out of nowhere. One made a beeline for Itachi and the other…

A rain of kunai heading towards her was all the encouragement Sakura needed to move.

"Those puppets…" she gasped as she back flipped to avoid another kunai before landing behind Itachi. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"Akasuna no Sasori," he supplied. "He is listed in the Bingo Book. S-class Suna missing nin. A puppet master."

"Figures," she muttered darkly. "Two against four. Granted… two are not human. What are our odds of getting out here alive?"

"Good."

"Good?" she echoed doubtfully.

Itachi nodded once.

She only hoped that he knew what he was talking about.

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Itachi had seen what Sakura had missed the moment he laid eyes on the blonde rogue nin. Deidara might have delayed Genma and Shino, but he had no doubt that the members of his squad, or at least Shino, would appear soon.

It had better be soon, for Sakura was certainly unfit to fight with her chakra at such a low level. It was fortunate that for whatever reason, Deidara seemed content to watch the progress of the battle without participating in it. But should Deidara finally decided to fight, Itachi knew that Sakura would not last long in her current condition.

A puppet flew towards them, forcing him and Sakura to jump apart to avoid the oncoming attack. He darted a concerned look at the kunoichi before deciding that he needed to focus fully on his own battle and defeat Sasori to be of any help to her later. She should know that she had to keep herself out of danger till then.

With that thought, Itachi released a water jutsu towards the puppet. Unfortunately, his opponent saw the move and counteracted by withdrawing the puppet swiftly back to his side.

"It would be much simpler if you just hand over what we want," Sasori said, sounding irritated.

Itachi did not even bother to respond. Instead, he streaked towards them with the intent of destroying the source of his annoyance; Sasori.

A burst of chakra from the opposite direction interrupted his focus on his target. Itachi flicked a quick glance over his shoulder, only to find a smirking Deidara focusing his attention towards Sakura. Unfazed, the kunoichi stood her ground, his katana held in one hand.

"What are you staring at, you freak?" she snarled.

Deidara's expression darkened. "How many times must I tell you not to call me a freak, hm?"

"Too bad I'm not planning on obeying you anytime soon."

"Then you're just making this more fun for me, yeah," Deidara sneered as he extracted something from the pouch by his side.

Before he could see what it was, Itachi's attention was dragged away by a whizzing sound heading towards him. Reacting purely by instinct, he substituted himself with a bunshin just in time to avoid being impaled by the rain of shuriken thrown by Sasori's puppet.

He reemerged some distance away, and immediately heard a series of explosions.

Sakura.

A quick scan around told him that Sakura was unharmed. She seemed to be holding her own against the blonde nin. Her strategy appeared to be close-quarter combat, which saw her trying to get near Deidara, while he tried to do the opposite. It made sense, for at close quarters, she would be able to utilize the katana better.

"You should pay attention to your own battle, Uchiha."

Spinning around, Itachi blocked the downward blow from a puppet with his arm before launching a counterattack. A small distance away, Sasori continued to manipulate his puppets and the battle grew more intense. Hands now full with his own fight, Itachi did not have the opportunity to check on the kunoichi. So, it was only when he heard a muffled curse that he shot a glance at her.

It appeared that Sakura had just taken a blow. She was clearly growing weary, as evidenced by the way she stumbled before righting herself on a boulder. In the interest of conserving chakra, she was not using any to assist in stabilizing herself on the slippery boulder. Instead, she formed the seals for a wind jutsu, which forced Deidara down to the ground. Katana ready, Sakura rushed towards her adversary and they clashed when katana met kunai. It seemed that she was coping as well as she could at the moment, but how much longer could she last?

Brows furrowing in concern, Itachi took another moment to direct his attention to their surroundings before quickly refocusing on his opponent. Genma and Shino were gaining on them, he noted as he raised a pair of kunai, deflecting a heavy downward strike from the puppet.

Shifting his focus back to his opponents, Itachi traded blow with them for a while until he saw an opening. Forming seals rapidly, Itachi sent another fire jutsu towards one of the puppets. It did not manage to dodge in time, and was soon engulfed in flames.

A crash sounded, followed by a choked cry, pulling his attention to Sakura once again.

Much to his alarm, he saw her sprawled unconscious at the base of a tree. Ice spiked through him at the sight of the three clay birds swooping down at Sakura. His heart clenched suddenly when he realized that he would not be able to reach her in time to intercede.

And then a sudden flash appeared, almost blinding him.

Three kunai pierced the clay explosives, setting them off mid-air. The explosives went off with a collective bang, and the burnt clay debris floated down to the ground harmlessly.

The air cleared to reveal a smirking Genma standing between Sakura and an irate Deidara.

"Sorry we are a little late, Taishou."

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A/N: That's it for now. Hope you've enjoyed the overload of Ita-Saku interaction in this chapter. Please review to let me know what you think. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews for the previous chapter. Glad you enjoyed the Ita-Saku interactions. The next part is now up and believe it or not, it is actually slightly longer than the last chapter. Hope that makes up for the wait!

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778 - Chapter 12**

"Sorry we are a little late, Taishou," Genma drawled carelessly. "Got a little held up by some puppets."

At the sight of Genma and Shino, Itachi felt his blood flow through his limbs again. For a moment, he thought that Sakura would not make it. If Genma had arrived just a moment later…

Shaking the bone-chilling thought out of him mind, he simply nodded at Genma in acknowledgement. Despite his carefree tone, Itachi could tell that the usually easy-going shinobi was anything but relaxed at that very moment. Genma was clearly fond of Sakura, after all, and any threat to her life would not be taken lightly.

Still wary of their situation, Itachi turned his attention back to their opponents. Standing on the rocks lining the edge of the river, both Deidara and Sasori regarded the new arrivals with stunned bewilderment, obviously not expecting them.

Quickly getting hold of himself, Deidara snapped towards his partner and snarled, "What the hell, yeah! I thought you dealt with those two, Sasori."

A dark look crossed the red-head's face. "So did I. They must have overpowered my puppets."

"Useless," Deidara hissed with obvious disgust. "Should have known better than to let you deal with something so important, yeah," he jabbed.

"Shut up, Deidara."

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "I don't know why the client even bothered hiring you. It's not as if you're helping, yeah."

The two rogue nins did not seem to be on good terms, Itachi noted with interest. Although Uchiha Daisuke had hired the Suna nin to provide back up for Deidara on this particular assignment, the blonde was clearly incensed at the apparent slight to his ability.

"Oi! Are you two done whining at each other?" Genma barked, cracking his knuckles. "It's about time to finish this off, don't you think?"

"Patience, Genma," Shino murmured calmly.

Sasori's stance shifted, his eyes settling on the senbon-user. "You are eager to die."

Even though his face was obscured by his mask, Itachi could sense the amusement radiating from Genma. "We all have to die sometime. But I have no plans of dying today."

A guttural sound escaped the puppet master's throat.

"Do whatever you want with that one, Sasori," Deidara sneered. Flicking his blue eyes to Itachi, he then continued, "And since you managed to mess up, I think I'll handle our main target. Been awhile since our last fight, hm, Uchiha?"

Itachi did not miss the way both Genma and Shino tensed at the blonde's words. Their puzzlement was not unlike Sakura's when she had discovered that he had encountered Deidara before. Still, this was not the appropriate time for explanations.

"Do what you like," Sasori grunted. He turned to Genma and Shino, widening his stance as his hands came together in an unfamiliar seal. "I can take care of them."

Genma snorted derisively. "Confident, aren't we?"

"Watch the puppets," Itachi reminded.

"One puppet each," Shino drawled. "Ready?"

That was the only warning everyone had. There was a quick blur of black and blonde on white, and then the nuke-nin was up in the air on his clay bird, streaking over Sasori's two puppets, which were heading the opposite direction towards Genma and Shino.

Wasting no time, Itachi's hands blurred through a series of seals.

"Suiton: Suigadan."

Spinning drills of water erupted from the river, crashing into the oncoming shower of clay explosives, instantaneously disabling Deidara's attack. Ignoring the water droplets raining over him, Itachi withdrew a handful of explosive tags from his vest and aimed them at his opponent.

Eyes gleaming maniacally, Deidara laughed as he maneuvered his clay bird to avoid the flying tags. "That can't be all you have, Uchiha."

No, it was not, Itachi agreed mentally as he let loose a handful of spinning shuriken at the blonde nuke-nin.

The moment the metal discs distracted Deidara, Itachi rapidly created a bunshin. Leaving the bunshin in his place, he streaked out of sight and began to scale a nearby tree with chakra-enhanced limbs, stopping only when he was shielded by the thick foliage. Once secure, he peered out through the gaps between the leaves.

Deidara was now fighting his bunshin, Itachi noted with approval. The ruse was successful so far, but he still needed to find an opening to launch an attack to end the battle once and for all. So he continued to watch intently as the battle progressed with increasing violence. Deidara was not an opponent to be taken lightly, but that was to be expected. The fact that he had managed to survive life as a missing nin all these years was a testament to his skills.

Itachi took his eyes away from Deidara to quickly check on Sakura. She was still laying down where he had last seen her, fortunately out of harm's way. Satisfied that she was safe for the moment, he directed his gaze at his squad members. They had managed to defeat the two puppets, he noted, following the pieces of puppets as they were carried away by the river current. And now, they were battling Sasori directly.

A surge of chakra drew his attention back to Deidara. The first thing Itachi saw was his bunshin being thrown up in the air. For a moment, he thought that the bunshin would disintegrate, but to his relief, the bunshin remained whole even as he hit the rocky ground, breathing heavily. Itachi quickly leapt onto another tree, and yet another, until he was on a tree limb almost directly over his bunshin.

A laughing Deidara turned his clay bird towards his weakened target.

Itachi tensed. It was almost time to make his move.

Swooping through the air, Deidara just about reached his bunshin when a strangled sound drew the blonde's attention away. Itachi hissed in displeasure at the interruption before he followed Deidara's gaze.

Both Genma and Shino were standing over Sasori. The redhead was slumped back against a tree trunk, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth as he clutched his badly wounded chest. The missing nin would not survive the injury, Itachi deduced.

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "What the-"

Itachi attacked.

In one swift move aided by the chakra surrounding his legs, Itachi leapt from the tree to land on the clay bird. It dipped precariously at the unexpected addition of weight. And as Itachi had anticipated when he came up with this strategy earlier, Deidara spun backwards in shock.

And stared straight into his Sharingan.

Itachi watched as the blonde froze, the pupils of his blue eyes dilating as he was swept into the genjutsu. Without Deidara's control, the clay bird was rapidly free-falling to the ground, but Itachi clamped his hands on the nuke-nin's shoulders, holding him steady. He only wished to disable the nuke-nin for it served no purpose to eliminate Deidara, especially considering that he could provide useful information about his employer. So, to ensure that he did not accidentally kill his opponent, Itachi knew that he had to maintain tight control over the genjutsu.

When the bird hit the ground, jolting them both, their eye contact remained unbroken. Keeping his focus on the technique steady, Itachi did not have to wait long before he saw what he wanted to see. The moment Deidara's breath became ragged and his expression became glazed, Itachi released the genjutsu and his grip on the blonde.

Eyes still open, but unseeing, Deidara slid off the clay bird. It was only when his body had hit the ground that his eyelids finally dropped shut.

Itachi watched Deidara impassively, and then turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Taishou."

When Shino stopped by his side, Itachi slanted an acknowledging look at him.

"We tried to keep him alive. However…" Shino trailed off, gesturing into the distance where a form laid unmoving.

Itachi glanced in the direction indicated by Shino, quickly finding Sasori's body. It seemed almost like a tragic waste of life. The man had died for something he most likely did not have a personal stake in. It was merely a paid assignment. If Sasori had remained with Suna, at least his death would have meant more.

Itachi was fully aware that this could have been his fate if he had made a certain choice many years ago. It could have been him, had he chosen to follow Madara's lead.

Brushing the thought out of his mind, Itachi shifted his gaze in the opposite direction. Another unconscious body lay there, close to Genma's feet. His own feet took him there in moments and the next thing he knew, he was kneeling next to the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Sakura," he called out.

000

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000

A familiar voice kept calling her name, lifting the veil of blackness away from her. With a groan, she forcefully pried her eyes open. A hiss of discomfort escaped her when the bright sunlight pierced her eyes. And one moment later, a shadow fell over her.

"Sakura."

"Itachi?" she breathed out, blinking until he came into focus.

His face was bent over her, shielding her from the direct glare of the sunlight. When she tried to push herself up, his hand on her shoulder stilled her movement.

"Are you wounded?" Itachi asked.

Grimacing, she quickly ran a scan over her own body. She was sore all over, but she soon found that there was nothing too serious. Mostly bruises from being tossed around by that freak Deidara, she glowered inwardly. Speaking of which…

"Where's Deidara and Sasori?" she asked.

Before he could answer, another familiar head came into sight. "You okay, Sakura?"

"Genma!" she exclaimed, happy to see him. "Yeah, of course I'm okay. Just a little bruised, that's all. When did you get here?"

Genma snorted. "I got here just in the nick of time."

She blinked. "For what? The fight?"

"Deidara's attack would have hit you if Genma hadn't intercepted it," Itachi told her in a bland tone.

Sakura winced. "Oh." Then, smiling gratefully at Genma, she said, "Thank you."

Genma waved a dismissive hand. "Anytime."

Deciding that she was done staring up at them, Sakura straightened her body. This time, Itachi did not stop her from getting up. As she did so, she caught sight of something familiar strapped to Genma's back, next to his own pack.

"Is that mine?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah." Genma handed it to her. "We found it at Deidara's place." Running his eyes over her, he grinned, "Not that you need your own clothes anymore."

Sakura felt her cheeks grow warm when she realized that Genma was referring to her attire. She was about to defend herself by saying that she had no intention of wearing her mutilated clothes when it occurred to her that she should not make such a big deal about it. After all, she and Itachi were supposed to be a couple.

Pasting a smirk on her face, she retorted, "What's a little clothes-sharing between loved ones, huh?"

While Genma laughed out loud, she felt, rather than saw, Itachi freeze beside her. And then she almost flinched when she recalled her choice of words. Ah well, too late to do anything about it now. Itachi would not take it seriously anyway, so no harm done, right?

"Thanks for finding it," she said as she strapped her pack back on.

"Not a problem."

"How did you find us?" Sakura asked, changing the topic just as Shino came up to them with two unconscious bodies slung over his shoulders. "Not that I'm not grateful and all."

"Tracker bugs," Shino supplied in his usual somber tone, dropping both bodies in the circle formed by the four of them. "I planted some on the Suna missing-nin."

"He used his puppets to restrain us. Seriously underestimated us, I'd say. It didn't take us long to escape."

Sakura flicked a glance at the redhead, her smile slipping from her face when she realized that Sasori was dead. She shouldn't feel sorry for him, but she did. He was just a hired thug, after all. Shifting her gaze further, she spotted an unconscious Deidara close to Genma's feet. Oddly, she felt relieved that he was still alive.

"What are we going to do with the other one?" Genma asked, prodding Deidara's side with the toe of his sandals.

"We will bring him back to Konoha for questioning," Itachi replied, his eyes fixed onto Deidara.

The way he was looking at Deidara convinced Sakura that he definitely knew more than he was letting on. The question was what? She decided that she should grill him on the subject as soon as she found an opportunity.

"He will wake up and try to escape if we're not careful," Sakura pointed out.

"He is under the effect of the Sharingan and will be unconscious for at least half a day. Do you think you will have enough chakra by then to sedate him?" Itachi asked her.

Sakura considered his question. "That technique is not too hard. I need a couple of hours sleep and I'll be fine for chakra."

"Fire Country is close by," Itachi pointed out. "It is more secure to rest there, instead of remaining here."

"It's best that we get moving then," Genma suggested.

Itachi turned to Shino. "Your summon should be able to deliver the body back to Konoha, should it not?" he asked.

Shino nodded, and instantly performed the summoning technique.

"Kuchiyose-no-jutsu!"

A giant bug appeared in a cloud of smoke and awaited Shino's instructions. Strapping the body of the Suna missing nin to the bug's back, Shino instructed his summon to return Sasori to Konoha. At least, that was what Sakura assumed. She would not know, since the communication between Shino and his summon was non-verbal.

Then the enormous bug took to the air and flew off.

She was about to ask why Deidara could not be sent back to Konoha like Sasori when the explanation came to her. Dead, Sasori posed no threat, but Deidara could awaken unexpectedly and escape. So, it made sense for them to keep Deidara with them.

She watched as Genma crouched down next to the missing nin, in one smooth motion, hoisted Deidara over his shoulder. The blonde's long hair swung in an arc when Genma turned back to face them.

"Straight to the border, Taishou?" he asked.

Itachi nodded in confirmation. And with that, they began to head towards Fire Country, with Itachi in the lead. She walked with Genma, answering his questions about what had happened to her, while Shino brought up the rear. However, her attention kept straying to Itachi.

After a while, she decided that it was time to tackle the question that had been on her mind since a couple of days ago.

"I'm going ahead to join Itachi."

Genma gave her a knowing smirk. "Miss him already?"

She rolled her eyes at him, but didn't grace him with a response to the question. Instead, she quickened her steps until she caught up with Itachi. When she drew level with him, she saw him cast a quick glance at her before returning his attention back to the front.

"You owe me an answer," she said casually.

"I do?"

"How did you know Deidara in the first place, Itachi?"

She could almost sense the interest perking up behind them. Genma and Shino were obviously curious about the whole thing, especially Genma. However, they have clearly decided that it was best not to question their captain, Sakura thought with a scowl. Well, she had no such qualms.

Besides, Itachi had practically promised her the information, right?

"So?" she prompted when Itachi continued walking.

He slanted an unreadable glance at her. "I have to explain to the Hokage first. She might not wish the information to become public just yet."

She was a little put out by his reply, but she knew that she could not press him any further.

The sun had almost set when they finally crossed into Fire Country and soon found themselves at the outskirts of a small border village. Like Genma and Shino, who was now taking his turn carrying the still-unconscious Deidara, she glanced at Itachi for his instruction.

"We will rest here," he announced.

Sakura stopped, scanning the village beyond. It was small, with one street of shops forming the main core of the village. The familiarity of it told her that she must have passed the village at some point in the past during one of her missions.

"There's an inn over there," Genma supplied, gesturing to the left of the street.

"Let's go," Shino murmured, obviously keen to get rid of his load.

Sakura had to agree with him. She could not wait to take a shower and sleep in a proper bed after their earlier battle.

000

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000

Itachi stood at the threshold of their room for the night.

Without much fuss, they had managed to secure the last two available rooms at the inn. Genma and Shino had taken the still-unconscious Deidara with them, no doubt assuming that he would naturally wish to share his room with Sakura since they were a couple.

"What's going on, Itachi?" Sakura asked from behind him. "Something wrong with the room?"

"No."

He could sense her perplexity in the silence that followed. Although they had shared a room last night, it was different because he had not slept then. Instead, he had remained awake the whole night, staying on guard and in the process, had managed to come to the conclusion that he was attracted to the kunoichi. Prior to his recognition of his feelings, sharing sleeping quarters with Sakura did not trouble him at all. But now it did and it was obvious that he was not hiding his reaction well enough.

Perhaps he should join Genma and Shino, regardless of what they might think. Undecided, he remained at the doorway, unmoving.

After a moment, Sakura spoke in a tone which betrayed her confusion. "Um… you mind stepping aside if you don't want to go in?"

Inwardly sighing, Itachi stepped into the room. He did not even blink at the sight of the double bed placed against one wall. It was as if the fates were conspiring to make this more difficult than it had to be.

Dropping her pack on the edge of the bed, Sakura quickly rummaged through it. "I'm going to take a shower," she announced as she pulled out clean clothes. Closing her pack, she turned to flash him a sheepish smile, tugging the top she was currently wearing. "I'll clean this up and then you can have it back. I'm sure you'd like something clean to change into."

He could not answer her. He did not know how to. The thought of wearing something Sakura had once worn sent a surge of something unfamiliar through him. So, he simply nodded.

Apparently satisfied with his response, Sakura added, "I won't be long."

Once Sakura had disappeared into the bathroom, Itachi sat on the bed.

He stared at the pale blue wall opposite as the thoughts continued to run through his mind. The absence of sleep last night meant that he would like nothing more than to do so tonight, on a comfortable bed. However, something told him that it would be difficult for him to relax, because he would be far too aware of Sakura now that he had accepted the existence of the attraction.

Still, regardless of how he felt, he had to ensure that none of his true emotions surfaced in front of Sakura. That was simply unacceptable as it would jeopardize their working relations. Such a situation would be awkward, and would certainly lead to the end of their professional camaraderie.

Sakura soon emerged from the bathroom, breaking his chain of thought. He turned to see her dressed in her own clothes now, with his clothes draped over one arm.

"Here," she offered his clothes to him. "Handwashed and dried with a little wind jutsu. Hope that's okay."

"It is fine," he responded, taking the clothes from her.

With that, he strode to the bathroom and closed the door. It did not take him long to wash the grime off his body. Then, toweling himself quickly, he pulled on the freshly laundered pants and top.

And froze when he was instantly enveloped by Sakura's scent.

Itachi closed his eyes briefly, breathing in and out slowly. Although the scent was faint, it was unmistakable. She had only worn it for a day, but that had been enough for her to leave her mark even though she had washed it.

His eyes opened and found the pile of clothes he had worn earlier. For a moment, he considered wearing them instead. It might make things easier for him if he was not reminded of her constantly.

Then his lips tightened in displeasure when he comprehended just how irrational his thoughts were. Common sense prevailing, he finally picked up the pile of clothes and left the bathroom.

Sakura was standing by the window now, munching on an apple from the fruit bowl. At his appearance, she gestured to the bowl and asked, "Want some?"

He shook his head. Picking up his pack, he placed his clothes inside. He would wash them when he arrived back in Konoha.

Deciding that it was time to sleep, he made his way to the bed. Placing his pack at the side of the bed, he laid down with his hands folded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. He could feel his muscles aching from the last few days of exertion, and he knew that he needed to rest to recuperate.

"You think those two will be okay with Deidara in their room?" Sakura suddenly asked, sounding concerned as she padded across the room.

"He will remain unconscious till dawn."

"Wake me up if I oversleep, okay? I'll sedate him then."

"Hm."

Her face came into view as she passed him to go to her side of the bed. For just a second, he thought he saw a flash of awkwardness in her emerald orbs. But it was so fleeting that it was probably something that he had imagined, considering his recent train of thoughts.

And then the bed dipped down under her weight.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her lie down facing away from him, pulling the covers over her. His entire body was so tense that he could not help but wonder if she could sense it, considering her abilities as a medic. If she did, it definitely did not show by the way her shoulders rose and fell in an even, tranquil manner.

Itachi continued to stare at the ceiling, willing himself to sleep.

"Aren't you tired?" she mumbled after a while.

He considered his answer. Deciding that there was no benefit in lying, he replied, "Aa."

"Then why aren't you sleeping?"

This time, he chose not to answer.

Sakura sighed, and then the bed moved as she turned. He slid his gaze to the side, watching as she peered at him questioningly. Her intense scrutiny made him uneasy, but he took care not to reveal his discomfiture.

"You look tired, for sure," she confirmed unnecessarily.

"Hm."

There was a flash of hesitation in her eyes. Then, seemingly conquering whatever it was that was bothering her, she offered, "I could help, if you like. I don't have much chakra, but if it helps, I can give you a quick massage."

"No," he choked out past the tightness squeezing his throat. The notion of her hands on his skin made him tense even further. Sleep would be an impossibility after such a thing. "That is not necessary."

Was that relief he saw sweeping over her expression? It must have been a trick of the light, for there was currently a small frown between her brows.

After a while, she muttered something he could not discern, and then turned to lie on her back, staring at the ceiling as he was doing. Her previous state of relaxation seemed to have disappeared, to be replaced by mild agitation.

With a loud sigh, she muttered, "Something is bothering you. I can feel it."

Itachi willed himself not to react physically. "Is that so?" he replied tonelessly.

"Yes, that is so!" Sakura shot back irritably. "Look, it's making me uncomfortable. And I can't sleep if I'm not comfortable. And if I don't sleep, I won't be able to do my job. So just go to sleep, okay?"

"Should I leave the room?"

"No!" She sounded aggravated. "Oh, nevermind," she ground out, turning to face away from him.

Itachi listened as she continued to fidget restlessly. She was clearly unsettled, and that was not the norm because she was usually capable of falling asleep in almost any condition. Perhaps she was simply too weary to settle down after everything that had happened to her.

Still, her restlessness did not make it any easier for him to fall asleep. Closing his eyes with an inward sigh, he began to mentally run through several meditation techniques.

And then he heard her mutter, "It's not as if I'm planning on taking advantage of you in your sleep."

His eyes shot open in surprise and he slanted his eyes at her.

She stiffened visibly under the covers. After a long while, she groaned under her breath, "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

So she had not meant to say it? His lips twitched in amusement, and all the tension he had felt earlier evaporated instantly. It had only taken two sentences for her to defuse the situation, unbeknownst to her.

"Go to sleep, Sakura," he murmured softly, sliding down under the covers.

He heard an indignant huff, and then a gruff, "Goodnight, Itachi."

"Hm."

Itachi could feel a small smile forming on his lips just before he succumbed to sleep.

000

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000

Kakashi was not the type to worry unduly. At least, that was what he told himself when days had passed and there was still no word of Sakura's whereabouts. What bugged him was the fact that since Sakura's disappearance, that tight feeling at the base of his throat had not left him.

Nor did the guilt.

Grimacing as he stared out over Konoha from the top of the Sandaime's rock head, he chastised himself for not seeing what he should have seen. Kabuto's interrogation sessions had confirmed that their enemies had been setting them up with the intention of kidnapping Sakura. However, as a hired operative, Kabuto had limited knowledge of the reason behind the operation. Ibiki had tried all sorts of techniques to no avail. One could not reveal what one did not know, after all.

So now the question was why.

Kakashi had known Sakura since she was twelve, and he had not seen anything which might entice anyone to kidnap her.

He frowned in contemplation.

No, that was wrong. There were at least two reasons for one to do so. First were the skills Sakura had learnt from Tsunade. Her medical and fighting abilities were unique enough to be eye-catching. Enemy shinobi would seek to steal those skills. If that was truly the case, Kakashi did not want to entertain the ideas of how they would go about extracting the information from her.

Secondly, she was closely associated with a certain Uchiha in the past few months. As his girlfriend, she was in considerable danger from anyone who wished to gain some leverage on Itachi. But why would anyone do that?

Before he could explore the ideas further, an oncoming presence drew his attention. It was a non-threatening one, so he simply waited. After a minute or so, Kakashi turned around as the masked ANBU appeared before him. He recognized her as one of the Hokage's messengers.

"Hatake-san."

He inclined his head in acknowledgement as he stood slowly, wondering what it could be. "What is it?"

"Tsunade-sama summons you to her office," she told him.

Sakura, he immediately thought. With a quick wave of thanks to the messenger, Kakashi chose to execute a quick teleportation jutsu, the fastest way to get him to his destination.

Soon, he appeared outside the Hokage Tower, slightly put out at the fact that the building had been barred against teleportation. He could have arrived at the door, otherwise. Wasting no time, he went in and ran up the stairs until he reached the familiar door.

He knocked.

"Come in."

The moment he stepped into the office, his eyes landed on Sakura, who was standing slightly in front of Itachi. At the sight of her smiling face, he let out the breath he had not realized he was holding.

"Hokage-sama," he greeted automatically, eyes not leaving the pink-haired kunoichi.

She was safe.

"Kakashi-sensei," she greeted.

A smile stretched against his mask. "Sakura. Nice to have you back."

Sakura grinned. "You know, it's strange to see you arrive before Naruto or Sasuke."

"Ah, I was already close by when the messenger got hold of me."

The sound of rapid footsteps from outside stopped whatever it was Sakura was about to say. A fraction of a second later, the door burst open, revealing a wide-eyed Naruto, and a more solemn Sasuke behind him.

"Sakura-chan!" the blonde hollered, immediately rushing in.

"Naru-"

Sakura was lifted out of Naruto's path abruptly, landing against Itachi chest before Naruto could bowl her over. Kakashi raised a brow at the protective gesture. Still, considering how open they were about their relationship, he should not be too surprised to see such a thing. He just did not expect the Uchiha to do so.

Skidding to a halt, an indignant Naruto yelled, "What do you think you're doing, Uchiha?! She-"

"She was injured not too long ago," Itachi interjected calmly. "Do you wish to reopen her wounds?"

Naruto's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, just as Sasuke strode into the room at a more sedate pace. A stab of concern coursed through Kakashi as he wondered just how badly she had been hurt. Another scan of her form told him that however bad her injuries had been, they were all gone now. At least outwardly.

"Close your mouth, Dobe," Sasuke muttered when Naruto continued to gape at Itachi. Flicking his eyes at his pink-haired teammate, he greeted gruffly, "Sakura."

"I'm so glad all of you are okay," she returned with a huge beam. "And I heard you got Kabuto as well!"

"Of course, Sakura-chan!"

The Hokage stood up then, casting her eyes over them. Kakashi frowned in contemplation when he noted her expression. This seemed a little too serious for a normal debriefing, so there must be something else. He waited for her to drop the bombshell.

"Now that everyone is here," Tsunade began. "Let me remind you that all briefings and debriefings are confidential in nature. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good. You are all here because you have a new assignment, one which is somewhat linked to your last one." Pinning a pointed look at the bland-faced ANBU captain, she instructed, "You can explain everything from the beginning."

Itachi nodded, and then turned to face them. "Up to a decade ago, the Uchiha clan was in possession of a scroll. However, only a handful of Uchihas knew of its existence since it was hidden."

"Up to a decade ago? You mean it's lost now?" Naruto interjected.

"Don't interrupt, Uzumaki," Tsunade snapped. "Keep the questions to yourself until he finishes."

At a nod from the Hokage, Itachi continued, "One of those who knew about it was Uchiha Madara."

Madara as in one of the founders of Konoha? Kakashi blinked slowly, trying to understand where this was going. Itachi must have sensed his question, for the Uchiha turned to him then.

"Madara was the head of the Uchiha clan during the formation of Konoha." Itachi paused, this time turning his gaze to his younger brother. "Your Academy lessons taught you that he died in the battle with the First Hokage and the reasons behind it."

Kakashi eyed his three students as they nodded, obviously recalling that Madara had been discontented with the division of power in Konoha. What Itachi was telling them now was not something new. It was part of their Academy lessons, after all. Still, it must have something to do with this entire kidnapping debacle.

"But Madara remained alive, to about a decade ago."

Sakura and Naruto gasped in disbelief, while Sasuke's eyes widened.

Kakashi froze. "That's impossible," he murmured. How could he live so long? And what had happened a decade ago?

Then it came to him.

The battle against the corrupted members of the Uchiha clan flashed across his mind like it had just happened yesterday. As a member of the ANBU, he had been ordered to fight, and that was what he had done. He had not delved deeper into the reasons behind the Sandaime's orders at that time, but now it was clear that Madara had been involved in the uprising, presumably for his own gain. But what was he after?

Itachi continued as if nothing was untoward. "At that time, there was segregation within the Uchiha clan. One faction desires peace, while the other desires power. However, to the rest of Konoha, it seemed that the entire clan was on the brink of revolt. No one knew until later that Madara was the one sowing the seeds of discord."

Then he paused, directing an inflexible glance at the Hokage, seemingly adamant on keeping the next part of the sequence of events quiet. Kakashi wracked his brain to remember what else had happened prior to the battle.

Tsunade finally interjected when it did not seem as if Itachi was planning to continue, "The Council caught wind of it, and ordered Itachi to assassinate the Uchiha clan."

"What?!" Sakura gasped, sounding horrified. "How could they?"

Stilling at the unexpected revelation, Kakashi could only stare at the stoic Uchiha. Then, slowly, he shifted his gaze to the younger Uchiha. Standing beside a shocked Naruto, Sasuke was much paler than usual. As surprised as he was, Kakashi understood that such things could and would happen in a shinobi village. But how would this whole thing affect Sasuke's perception of his brother? The younger Uchiha had always looked up at Itachi, so the disclosure that Itachi had once been ordered to assassinate his clan must be very unsettling.

Glancing at Itachi, Tsunade asked, "According to the records, after saying yes to the Council, you then reported the incident straight to the Sandaime?"

Itachi nodded. "He overrode the Council's orders, and instructed me to investigate. I discovered that Madara had his own reasons for appearing then. He wanted to retrieve a particular scroll."

Looking thoughtful, Tsunade clasped her hands under her chin. "Less people know about the content of the scroll, the better." She paused, giving the three youngest members of Team Kakashi a dry look. "But you might as well tell them, because I'm sure they will find out somehow. Remember that what is said in this room remains in this room. No discussing it with anyone else."

Kakashi resisted the urge to smirk, turning his attention back to Itachi. The dark-haired shinobi did not seem eager to disclose the content of the scroll.

"Madara needed the scroll to renew the jutsu prolonging his life and giving him his strength. He gathered supporters to assist him in doing so because by then, he was already weakened. Too weak to unseal the security around the scroll. He directed a member of the clan to its hiding place under the 7th tatami mat in the Uchiha shrine to retrieve it."

Itachi faltered then, and Tsunade took over. "Itachi was a double agent, working for both the Sandaime and Madara, so he managed to intercept the scroll before it could reach Madara," she explained. "Without the scroll, Madara remained weak and his band of Uchiha supporters were soon defeated by the ANBU."

Obviously stunned by the revelation, Sasuke trained an incredulous look on his brother.

Unable to remain silent any longer, Naruto spoke up, "So, you pretended to be loyal to this Madara guy to defeat him, and get the scroll in the end?" His brows scrunched up. "What has this got to do with Sakura?"

Directing a glance at Itachi, Kakashi remarked, "Since you intercepted the scroll, I'm assuming that whoever that's after Sakura wants to blackmail you for the scroll. Meaning you have hidden the scroll somewhere. Is that right?"

Itachi nodded once. "Aa."

"You mean I got kidnapped because someone wants a stupid scroll?" Sakura demanded, sounding incredulous. "This Madara is dead, right? So _he_ is not after the scroll, right?"

"He is dead," Itachi confirmed. "But recently, I discovered that his supporter, Uchiha Daisuke, is very much alive."

"Is he the only rogue Uchiha alive?" Sasuke asked.

"I do not know."

"So this Daisuke wants to prolong his life like Madara?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head. "What's up with wanting to live so long, anyway?"

"No one knows if Daisuke wants the scroll for himself," Kakashi pointed out, feeling a headache coming. There were too many unknowns in this situation, making it difficult for them to strategize properly. It was easy to miss an important element in situations like this.

"He has been sending nuke-nins to me for several years in the attempt to locate the scroll." Itachi glanced at Sakura then. "The latest is Deidara."

"The latest?" Sakura prompted. "You mean there were others?"

"I have eliminated the rest."

Sasuke spoke then. "Where is the scroll?"

"That's confidential," Itachi replied blandly.

"What do you mean it's confidential?" Naruto exploded. "How are we supposed to guard the damned scroll if we don't know where it is?"

"It has remained safe all this time, therefore it is not necessary to divulge its location," Itachi murmured, unperturbed by Naruto's annoyance. "The issue at hand is not the protection of the scroll."

"Even I don't know where it is, Naruto," Tsunade told the blonde in a dry voice. "The important thing now is to come up with a plan to locate and apprehend Uchiha Daisuke. Once we have him, we can interrogate him to find out what is behind his search for the scroll."

Kakashi nodded. "We have Kabuto, but I think we've exhausted that option."

"Yeah." A menacing gleam appeared in Sakura's eyes as she said, "But we have Deidara now."

Kakashi raised a questioning brow.

"We took a captive," Itachi explained.

"That bastard was the one who kidnapped me," Sakura fumed, pink spots of anger gracing her cheeks.

"What?!" Naruto burst out. "Where is he now?"

"In detention, I presume?" Kakashi muttered, feeling the itch to lay his hands on this Deidara.

"Yes," Itachi confirmed. "Aburame and Shiranui are watching over him until Morino takes him for interrogation."

Glowering darkly, Sasuke suggested, "Perhaps Ibiki wouldn't mind some assistance in Deidara's interrogation."

Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, let me have a shot at him," he snarled.

Tsunade gave him a stern look. "Let's come up with a plan first."

They all fell silent in thought.

With the limited information they have, it would be difficult to simply go out and hunt down Uchiha Daisuke. Unless Deidara could give them the information, they could be combing goodness knew how many countries to find that one single shinobi who was supposedly dead.

Finally, it was Sakura who broke the silence.

"Well," she began slowly. "He might attempt to get at Itachi through me again. He must have assumed that I'm Itachi's weak point to do so in the first place."

For a moment, Kakashi could not comprehend what she was saying. But when he did, his eyes widened in consternation. Another attempt to kidnap Sakura would give them another opening to get closer to Daisuke. The shinobi in him told him that it was probably the best shot they have.

However…

"We can't use Sakura as bait!" Naruto protested loudly.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed in warning. Turning to Tsunade, she said in a calmer voice, "Shishou, if I can lure them out again, then I'll do it. I think it will be okay. Besides, if they're planning to use me as leverage, they won't kill me."

Sasuke grunted, but his displeasure was clearly displayed on his face, unlike his brother. Apart from a brief flicker of something, Itachi remained as impassive as ever. But Kakashi was not fooled. Something told him that Itachi did not like the idea, just like the rest of them.

Kakashi scratched his masked chin thoughtfully. "I'm not keen on the idea, but I have to admit that it could work."

Naruto glared at him. "What?! NO!"

Ignoring the blonde, Kakashi continued, "I can't think of anything else." Slanting a pointed look at the Uchiha, he said, "Unless you want to use the scroll as bait."

"No."

"Can't you guys see? Using the damned scroll as bait is better than using Sakura!" Naruto practically yelled.

"Where is in the scroll?" Sasuke pressed.

Itachi did not look at his brother when he responded, "Hidden."

The Hokage let out an impatient huff, but said nothing.

When Kakashi turned to the Uchiha, he was unsurprised to find the ANBU captain wearing an uncompromising expression. Wherever the scroll was, it was clear that Itachi was not willing to divulge any further information. At least, not while the rest of them were there.

"Out, the rest of you."

His blue eyes widening, Naruto began to protest, "But-"

"Now, Uzumaki!"

Kakashi frowned. "Hokage-sama-"

"Are you questioning orders, Hatake?" Tsunade demanded, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes.

"No." Best to be meek when their village's volatile leader was in such a mood.

"Wait outside. And no eavesdropping," Tsunade said pointedly to Sakura, who promptly blushed in chagrin.

The four members of team Kakashi left the room reluctantly, closing the door behind them. The moment they were out, Kakashi felt a flare of chakra from within and instantly comprehended that Tsunade had sealed the room against spies.

"She sound-sealed the room," Sakura grumbled.

"You are not meant to eavesdrop," Sasuke pointed out.

"I don't see why she can't just let us stay," Sakura complained, obviously annoyed at being left out.

"I'm guessing Tsunade wants the location of the scroll. The hiding place must be some Uchiha clan secret," Kakashi said thoughtfully.

Sasuke made a disbelieving sound. "Then I should be in there."

"Then maybe it is not because of some Uchiha secret," Naruto growled. "I don't like all this waiting."

Kakashi turned to Sakura. "Sure he hasn't mentioned anything during your…um… courtship? Even a hint of something?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm sure he didn't mention anything."

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000

Did Kakashi think that she would hide something like this from them? Then again, she could not say a word even if she did, considering that her loyalty was bound to the mission. Not that Itachi had said anything to her in the first place.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. Well, Itachi might have mentioned something if they were really a couple, Sakura thought moodily, even though the chance was very slim. But the way things were, there was no reason for Itachi to confide in her, especially something as important as this.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Kakashi asked suddenly.

She nodded, squeezing out a small smile at his question. "Yeah, just want to settle this scroll thing once and for all." And for that, she was willing to use herself as bait. Not to mention she could not wait to get her hands on the bastard who had ordered the kidnapping, she thought grimly.

"How badly were you hurt?" her sensei asked, drawing her out of her contemplations.

She shrugged. "Mainly burns, and a few lacerations. Deidara's specialty is explosives."

"That bastard!" Naruto growled.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not as if I haven't been injured before, Naruto."

"But we were not there," Naruto whined. "What if it had been worse?"

"It wasn't worse, Dobe. And Itachi was there," Sasuke remarked flatly.

His words reminding her of something, she turned to Sasuke. "Are you okay? You know, with what Tsunade told us in there?"

Sasuke's dark eyes drifted over to her, his emotions masked. "What about?"

"Those things about your clan."

"Yeah, Teme. You looked a bit sick for a while back then."

Sasuke's expression darkened. "He was ordered to eliminate the Uchiha clan. How do you think I should feel?"

"It was a good thing your brother had the sense to go to the Sandaime, hm?" Kakashi remarked lightly. Placing a hand on Sasuke's dark head, he added, "Or you won't be here now."

Sasuke grunted.

"It must have been difficult for him," Sakura mused in a somber tone. "Can't imagine what it must be like to hear that order from the Council."

"It's all okay now, right?" Naruto remarked. Punching a fist into a palm, he added, "We'll get that Daisuke bastard and make sure this whole thing dies down."

Sakura nodded resolutely.

"The seal's down," Kakashi suddenly announced.

She gave her sensei a confused look. "Huh?"

He nudged a head as the door. Sakura realized that Tsunade had removed the sound-proofing seal, just moments before her shishou's voice came through.

"Get back in here, the four of you."

Without wasting any time, Sakura quickly followed the rest of team into the room. The moment they entered, her eyes darted towards Itachi. This time, he was looking at her, and to her surprise, she could pick out the edge of concern in the way he regarded her. She raised her brow at him in question, but he only gave her an imperceptible shake of his head.

Odd, she thought.

"Well, now that all of you are back here, these are the orders for your next mission," Tsunade began. "Itachi, your ANBU squad and Team Kakashi will work together to capture Uchiha Daisuke, and eliminate any threat he poses."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade turned to her then. "The best strategy so far seems to involve you, Sakura. You are up for it?"

"Of course, Tsunade-sama."

"Good. The initial aim here is to use your relationship to lure Daisuke into making another attempt at you. So it is important to emphasize that you are Itachi's weakness."

Sakura nodded. "Okay."

"However, we need to make some changes to the present… arrangement."

This time, her brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Huh? What arrangement?"

"You need to move into the Uchiha compound to stay with Itachi."

Sakura's jaw dropped.

"WHAT?" Naruto cried out, his eyes wide. "But-"

"They are a couple, Dobe," Sasuke bit out bluntly.

Sakura darted a quick glance at Itachi, but he gaze was trained on the Hokage. So that was why he had given her that odd look just now. He knew that this was coming.

But what was going on here? Her assignment with him did not include something like this. More importantly, how was she supposed to live under the same roof while keeping her attraction for him under wrap? It had been horrible a couple of nights ago at the inn. She had felt so awkward that the next night, she had insisted on travelling through the night without a break. And if she was to live in the same house with Itachi, who knew what might happen?

"Why is it necessary for me to move in with Itachi?" she asked, carefully keeping her tone even. Since her team did not know about her side mission, it would not do to give away the fact that she was not too keen on moving in with her supposed boyfriend.

"Yeah, she doesn't need to," Naruto piped up immediately.

Tsunade huffed in exasperation. "Is it so unbelievable for Itachi to be so worried about Sakura's well being, especially after the kidnap attempt? He simply wants to keep her close."

Sakura did not know what to say to that. She supposed it made sense, sort of. It would definitely highlight Itachi's concern for her. But it would not be easy on her, and she really did not look forward to having to keep a mask up all the time for who knew how long.

"But… it is not…" Naruto began, only to be interrupted by their sensei.

"They are not married," Kakashi pointed out flatly. "Or engaged."

Thank you, you guys, Sakura whispered in her mind, grateful that Kakashi and Naruto were trying to help her, even if they did not know it.

Sasuke turned to Itachi. "You could always make it… proper." There was a meaningful glint when he continued, almost in a challenging tone, "You're serious about Sakura, right?"

"Sasuke!" Sakura hissed, dismayed by what he was suggesting.

"Itachi could, I suppose," Tsunade remarked thoughtfully.

Could things get any worse? Sakura tried to catch Itachi's eyes, but to no avail. "Isn't that carrying things _a bit_ too far?" she managed to ask, still trying to keep her panic from showing. Why was Itachi not saying anything? "Itachi?" she called out.

He finally turned to her, and that was when she saw a flash of hesitation in his eyes. However, it was soon followed by what appeared to be resignation. For some reason, trepidation coursed through her at the sight.

"As far as everyone outside this room is concerned, we will be engaged," Itachi intoned evenly.

Sakura gasped at his choice of words. What-

"What do you mean, as far as everyone outside this room is concerned?" Naruto snapped, lunging towards Itachi only to be restrained by a frowning Sasuke. "You're asking Sakura to PRETEND to be engaged to you? After getting your hands all over her in public? You think we didn't see how you-"

"Naruto!" she snapped angrily before she turned her eyes to Itachi. What the hell was Itachi up to? She was so confused.

"Nii-san," Sasuke gritted out. "What do you mean by that?"

"Sakura and I are not a couple," Itachi explained calmly. "She is merely acting. It was an assignment I'd commissioned months ago."

Silence reined across the room.

Sakura blinked, unsure how to react. Itachi had effectively just ended her mission, even though the mission should have gone on for almost two months more. Or did he? She did not know whether she should be relieved or not now that her team knew the truth. Considering everything, she should be happy that the truth was out in the open, right?

She cast her gaze around the room, noting the shell-shocked expression on both Naruto's and Sasuke's faces. Kakashi looked a little contemplative, but that was not unexpected. He probably had seen this coming anyway.

Unsurprisingly, it was Naruto who finally broke the silence.

"It was not real?" he ventured hesitantly.

"It was just a mission, Naruto," Sakura clarified with a loud sigh.

A large smile spread across Naruto's face. "Neh, Sakura-chan. Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" he asked with a chuckle, obviously pleased by the latest development. "Would have made things much easier."

"I can't blow my own mission, can I?" she shot back irritably.

"You were quite convincing," Kakashi commented in a tone she could not quite place.

Was her sensei actually complimenting her? "You think so?"

His single visible eye creased. "Yes."

A quick glance at her 'client' told her that he did not seem bothered that her team knew about it now. Sasuke, however, seemed a little unsure about something. She was not the only one who had noticed, though.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "Feeling alright?"

"Hm."

Sakura had to ask. "So, what is going to happen with me acting in love with Itachi?"

Tsunade replied, "Keep doing what you're doing, with the exception of moving in with Itachi. Outside this room, you'll continue the charade with everyone else. We need to give the impression that you're very important to Itachi. Also, you'll no longer be working for Itachi because this has become a Konoha issue."

"Oh." That made sense, she supposed.

Still, she could not help but feel a little uncertain now that things had sort of changed. Ever since she had realized that she found Itachi somewhat… appealing… things that were previously simple were now unnecessarily complicated and awkward.

Like sharing a room.

How would she deal with staying under the same roof with Itachi, let alone the same room? It had been hard enough to maintain her composure when she last shared a bed with him. And she had not forgotten what she had said to him out loud by accident either. How many times would she slip up if they remained in close contact for prolonged periods?

Distressed, Sakura continued to mull over the situation, hardly paying attention to the rest of the briefing.

Until Tsunade snapped, "Haruno Sakura! Are you listening?"

Sakura jumped, instantly feeling blood rushing up to her cheeks when she caught her shishou's glare.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

And she vowed not to think about the whole situation with Itachi anymore.

At least for the moment.

000

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000

Itachi sat crosslegged on the tatami mat and stared out of the open screens into the courtyard beyond. The night sky was dark, but the occasional lanterns illuminated the compound. Weary from the mission and the lack of sleep the previous night, he knew that he should be asleep by now. However, he was too wrapped up in contemplating the events which had occurred earlier that day.

The disclosure of the true situation between him and Sakura should not impact him much, but Itachi found himself mulling over it again. The fact that the rest of her team now knew that it was simply an act made things seem a little… empty. Perhaps it was simply because he was beginning to develop some true affection towards her, and perhaps had grown used to their relationship. This development could change things.

He was aware that things would change, regardless. It was inevitable, considering Sakura's pending move into his family home. That would certainly complicate matters even further.

It had not escaped his notice that Sakura was not pleased with the arrangement, which confirmed to him that as far as she was concerned, their 'relationship' was merely a mission. Her reluctance to move in to the Uchiha compound was most likely due to the fact that she resented the invasion into her personal time, for who knew how long this mission would continue?

He should not be surprised if she felt that way. She had no reason to feel otherwise.

After all, his attraction was one-sided.

The corner of his lips lifted slightly at the irony. He had gone out of his way to select her for the assignment as his love-interest because he was fairly certain that she would not develop such feelings for him. He had been confident that she would act professionally, and she had not let him down.

Never had he anticipated that he would be attracted to her.

Clearly, he had to keep his feelings to himself for the course of this latest mission. It would not do to confuse his true feelings with the assignment at this point in time. Such a thing would truly make him vulnerable, and that was not what they all needed. Also, if Sakura was to discover what he was thinking right now, it might affect their current mission adversely no matter how professional she was. One simply could not ignore such things.

What about afterwards? What would be his next step once the mission was over?

Itachi sighed softly as he unfolded his legs, leaning back on his elbows. Perhaps whatever he felt for Sakura would diminish over time. However, if the future did not pan out that way, he might have to consider... pursuing her? That strategy was only viable if Sakura reciprocated his feelings, or it was doomed to failure.

His contemplation of the situation was broken abruptly when he sensed the approach of his brother. Sasuke did not bother hiding his presence, and soon, there was a couple of soft taps on the opposite shoji screen. Glancing over his shoulder, he called out for his brother to enter.

Sasuke's footsteps scraped lightly against the tatami mat as he slid the screen open and walked into the room. "Nii-chan," he greeted.

Itachi turned his attention back to the courtyard. "What is it, Sasuke?"

There was a brief pause before Sasuke spoke. "I don't remember the battle."

Knowing exactly what Sasuke meant, Itachi inclined his head at the tatami mat. It was only when Sasuke had sat down that Itachi allowed the memories to return.

"It happened at night. You were asleep. Okaa-san remained home with you while Chichi-ue and I left the house." Itachi grimaced. It was not a time that he recalled fondly. "I let the ANBU into the compound and led them to the shrine. Madara's supporters had gathered that night to prepare for their own coup."

Sasuke's brows furrowed in recollection. "I remember the shrine being shut for a while."

Eyeing his brother, Itachi nodded. Their mother usually took that route to do her food shopping and Sasuke must have followed her then. "It took us a whole night to subdue them. And the shrine sustained great damage. Afterwards, it had to be closed for repairs."

Looking unsettled, Sasuke asked, "So, Fumiko-san, Nobu-jii-san, Teiko-"

"They were eliminated."

The expression in Sasuke's eyes reminded Itachi of a lost and confused child. Sasuke had only known them as kindly relatives, not deadly shinobi intent on following the orders of their leader. Looking back, some of those who had died that night were only in their early teens, hardly older than he had been then. Sadly, Itachi knew that many of those who had died that night were simply misguided. They were simply fooled by Madara's grandiose ideas.

Sasuke exhaled loudly. "Now I understand why no one told me the reason so many of our relatives didn't make it back from their missions that week."

"Hm." That was what they had told those who were too young to comprehend the matter.

For a long while, they simply sat in silence. Turning his eyes back outside, Itachi focused on removing the images of the Uchiha battle from his mind. Although it had been necessary, he had never felt comfortable with the fact that he had been involved in the killing of his own blood relatives.

And now, there was a possibility that it was happening again, albeit at a much smaller scale. It was becoming critical that he ascertained if Shisui was truly betraying them, and if Shisui was the only one. But if he made no progress on his own, Itachi knew that he had to report his suspicion to the Hokage soon. He could not postpone it any longer.

A shuffling sound drew Itachi's attention and he turned to see Sasuke getting to his feet.

"I'm going to sleep."

Itachi inclined his head and watched silently as his younger brother walked away.

Sasuke paused when he reached the shoji screen. Noting his hesitation, Itachi raised a questioning brow. To Itachi's surprise, a mask came down over Sasuke's face before he spoke his next words.

"About Sakura… was it really just an assignment?"

Itachi's brows furrowed slightly. "Aa."

"The two of you took things quite far for an assignment," Sasuke said, his tone a little clipped. "Was all the physical stuff truly necessary?"

Was Sasuke actually chiding him? Somewhat irked by the notion, Itachi returned dryly, "Your concern is unnecessary, Sasuke. I did not compromise her virtue."

"What about when she lives here with us?" Sasuke retorted. "Mission or not, it doesn't make sense for her to live here before marriage. You know the elders will disapprove."

"Are you suggesting that we progress to marriage straight away?" Itachi asked flatly.

"No," Sasuke bit out, looking annoyed, his mask of disinterest slipping off. "It's just-"

"I will discuss a cover story with Sakura," Itachi interjected calmly, even though he did not feel calm at all. The way Sasuke questioned everything and his blatant disapproval were aggravating. "Why are you so displeased?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed, and then he scowled. "Displeased? I'm not displeased. You're-"

"Yes, you are displeased. Behave like a shinobi, Sasuke. This is a mission," Itachi pointed out stonily, further irked by Sasuke's attempt at denial. The conversation had taken a turn that he did not favor at all.

Heatedly now, Sasuke snapped, "She's my teammate, Itachi. I know that most kunoichi does this kind of missions at least once, but they do it OUTSIDE Konoha, unlike Sakura. At the end of this whole mess, her reputation-"

"Her reputation will remain unsullied," Itachi ground out. "You have nothing to worry about, Sasuke."

Lips thinned in anger, Sasuke glared at him for a moment. Then, without another word, he spun around and walked out of the room.

Itachi inhaled deeply before letting it out.

Between Daisuke's plot, Tsunade's orders, Sasuke being difficult, Shisui's secrets and his own feelings for Sakura, this assignment could be the death of him.

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A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please review to let me know what you think. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews for the previous chapter. The encouragement is much appreciated, since it is difficult to find time to write these days. My baby is 7 months now and crawling, which means that I have to keep an eye on him all the time. It's unbelievable how much trouble he can get into! Anyway, enough of my nattering. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778**** - Chapter 13**

Itachi knew that he had postponed this confrontation far longer than he should, but he truly did not relish the notion of going through with it. Not being the most social of persons meant that there were a limited number of people whom he felt close enough to be himself with, and one of them was Shisui. What he was about to do could put an end to it.

However, it was inescapable that Shisui might be a security risk, and that made things awkward for him, Itachi thought as he watched the other Uchiha from his position at the doorway of his own home. Shisui seemed deep in thought as he made his way in the direction of the Uchiha compound gates.

Stepping out of his house, Itachi quickly approached the other Uchiha.

Obviously sensing him, Shisui halted and turned around with a small grin. "Oi, Itachi. Been a while."

Catching up with him, Itachi nodded. "Yes."

"You've been busy with ninja work as usual, I take it?" Shisui shook his head teasingly. "Your little girlfriend must be lonely."

"She is not."

"So what's so important that you have to neglect her?"

Watching Shisui carefully, Itachi announced, "There are spies in Konoha."

The lighthearted look on Shisui's face disappeared. "What? Spies? This is serious." He frowned in consternation. "Who?"

"Do you know?"

"What the hell, Itachi? How should I know?" Shisui frowned. "Unless you're implying it is someone we know. Someone in this compound?"

Keeping his tone even, Itachi replied, "I suspect it is."

Shisui sucked in a sharp breath. "It is?" Leaning closer to Itachi with interest shining in his wide eyes. "Who?" he asked curiously.

Itachi's lips thinned. Either Shisui's acting skills had improved tremendously recently, or he was telling the truth. Whichever it was, there was one way to find out. And it involved divulging a piece of information to Shisui, information that no one else knew yet. If Shisui was the spy, he would pass the information to Daisuke.

"I have to go," Itachi murmured, knowing that Shisui would stop him.

"Huh? Aren't you going to tell me who it is?"

"I do not know who it is," Itachi admitted.

"So where are you going?"

"I have an appointment with Sakura."

As he had anticipated, Shisui's eyes took on a curious gleam. Grinning now, Shisui asked, "So, apart from neglecting her, how are things going with you and your girl?"

"It is progressing."

"Progressing, huh?" Waggling his brows, Shisui prodded, "How so?"

Itachi paused deliberately. "I'll ask her for her hand in marriage soon."

This time, Shisui's jaw dropped. "You're serious!"

"I am."

"When?"

"Soon," Itachi replied vaguely. "Do not tell anyone. I prefer if she did not find out from someone else."

"You have my word." Shisui laughed. "Who would have guessed, huh? I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. What brought this on, anyway? Not that I'm not happy for you, but it is kind of sudden."

Itachi remained silent, knowing fully well that Shisui would press him for an answer. True enough, the other Uchiha let out an exasperated exclamation.

"You can tell me, you know. It's not as if I'm going to tell anyone." He paused. "Well, I won't tell anyone until you two are nicely engaged," he added cheekily.

"A certain… situation… highlighted just how important she is to me."

Shisui's brows furrowed, looking confused. "What situation?"

"Her life was in danger in her previous mission."

"Oh." Shisui shook his head, smiling wryly. "Nothing like that kind of danger to put in perspective what is important, huh?"

"Aa."

"I'd better not delay you then. Sakura will not appreciate it, I'm sure. Say hello from me when you see her."

"Aa."

"And maybe give her a kiss from me as well?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the notion of said kiss while Shisui laughed out loud. Before he could say anything else, the older shinobi body-flickered out of sight, leaving Itachi standing alone in the clan compound.

The trap had been set. If Shisui was truly a spy, he would definitely relay this information to someone soon. And this time, Itachi had every intention of finding out who it was. The only problem was, he could not do this alone, for it would be far too obvious if he was to be seen wherever Shisui was. It was not possible for him to trail Shisui constantly.

He needed backup.

000

* * *

000

Kakashi kept his head low as he thumbed through the poetry book resting on the table. To his right were a pot and a cup of steaming tea he had ordered earlier. And further away to his right, two tables away to be exact, was his target.

It had been some time since he was last assigned a solo mission, but Kakashi knew that in this situation, it was probably wise. His target was an Uchiha and usually, it was difficult to fool one with a simple henge-no-jutsu. Having more operatives working on this meant a greater risk of blowing their cover.

And yet, Kakashi could not help but wonder if this particular shinobi would even realize that he was being spied on, even without the henge. There was clearly something off about the way he held himself and the way he was conversing with the red-headed woman seated across the table from him.

The young woman was no one Kakashi recognized, but she was clearly a foreign shinobi. She was slender and wore neutral clothes, but it was her bespectacled eyes that caught Kakashi's attention. Her eyes were sharp and hardly ever left Shisui's ever since they stepped into the restaurant in this civilian village. Now, if she had been gazing at Shisui with affection, such a thing would not be a problem. But the light in her eyes was nowhere near affectionate. It was calculative.

Besides, her chakra levels suggested that something was untoward. It suggested that currently, unbeknownst to Shisui, she was using some jutsu on him. Kakashi could only guess that whatever the jutsu was, it had been cast long before now, and that it involved the control of another person.

Yes, that would explain the slightly vacant expression on the Uchiha's face.

Kakashi continued to watch as Shisui moved his lips almost mechanically. Even without his Sharingan, he could guess what was being said from the movement of Shisui's lips. Unsurprisingly, Shisui was handing over information about Itachi and his pending engagement to Sakura, as well as various clan activities. The smile that curved the red-head's lips told Kakashi that she had found the information she was looking for.

The questioning did not continue for long after that. Evidently satisfied with her find, the woman leaned forward and cupped Shisui's face before drawing him close for a kiss. It lasted a few seconds and then she pulled back slowly, there was a soft, adoring smile on her face.

Kakashi's brow quirked upwards when he noticed Shisui blinking rapidly, as if just woken up from deep sleep. So, that was how she deactivated the jutsu. He deduced that the activation must be the kiss of greeting earlier. Interesting.

Shisui and the woman conversed for a while, and this time, Kakashi noticed a marked changed in the way the woman behaved towards him. This time, she could have fooled anyone with the affectionate looks and touches she bestowed upon Shisui. No wonder the man was smitten, Kakashi mused.

Half an hour later, Shisui and the woman finally parted ways.

Kakashi waited a few minutes before he paid for his untouched tea and left the restaurant. Slowly, as to not attract attention, he strolled towards the outskirt of the village, trailing Shisui's path. Once outside the village, however, he sped up until he caught up with the Uchiha.

Obviously sensing danger, Uchiha Shisui body-flickered away, much to Kakashi's annoyance.

"Uchiha Shisui," Kakashi called out, making his identity known.

Shisui flickered back into view, his brows furrowed. "Hatake Kakashi," he acknowledged, but the way he held himself was full of tension.

Kakashi crinkled an eye. "Yo! Nice day for a stroll out of Konoha, hm?"

Shisui's frown deepened. "What the hell, Hatake? You're following me or what?"

With a careless shrug, Kakashi remarked, "Hokage's orders, you know."

"Hokage's orders?" He looked surprised, and then there was a flash of trepidation. "Why?"

"Why don't you come with me and you'll find out."

Shisui's lips compressed into a thin line, and for a while, Kakashi thought that he had to forcibly drag the other shinobi back to Konoha. It was not something he wanted to do, for as far as he could tell, Shisui had done nothing except allow himself to be manipulated. However, it was a different story if Shisui resisted arrest.

Then, much to Kakashi's relief, Shisui's shoulders slumped in resignation and he sighed.

"Lead the way, Hatake."

000

* * *

000

So, it had happened, Itachi thought as he sat with his family, methodically finishing his breakfast.

The news that Shisui had been apprehended did not come as a surprise to him, but Itachi still felt troubled by it. Shisui was his best friend, after all.

According to Tsunade, Kakashi had been suspicious about Shisui's unusual behavior and therefore, Shisui's mind had been carefully probed for information by the interrogation team. Shisui had been repeatedly exposed to some sort of mind-control jutsu. It explained those occasions when Shisui had been out of sorts. Shisui probably had no idea that it had been happening, or even suspected his so-called girlfriend.

It meant that Shisui's punishment would not be so severe. His main crime was his association with a foreign nin with dubious intent towards Konoha. However, it might mean that he would be demoted or even taken off active duty completely. Either of which would shatter the shinobi, Itachi knew.

And yet, there was nothing he could do about it now. In keeping his suspicions to himself, he had risked his own position with the Hokage. Itachi knew that there was nothing else he could do. Shisui should have been more wary of the people he met. He was far too friendly for a shinobi, and this was not the first time he had gotten into trouble for it. Only this time, it was serious because he had gotten involved, albeit unknowingly, with an enemy of Konoha.

Thoughts of involvements brought Itachi's attention to something he knew he should really do soon.

Perhaps now was the time, Itachi decided as he sipped his breakfast tea. Both his parents were there and Sasuke? He slid a glance at his brother, not missing the fact that Sasuke had barely looked at him in the eye since their encounter several days ago. Ever since then, Sasuke had been rather sullen in general.

Itachi frowned inwardly. Sasuke would simply have to grow up and accept that things did not always go his way.

Although Itachi understood Sasuke's protectiveness when it came to his teammate, a part of him could not help but wonder if there was something more. Could Sasuke's reaction be a result of possessiveness, instead of protectiveness? Did Sasuke harbor more feelings for Sakura than what was the norm for teammates?

Those thoughts did not sit well with Itachi.

Deciding to examine those possibilities later, he filed them to the back of his mind and returned his focus to his parent, who had just finished their own meal.

"I'm asking Sakura for her hand in marriage today," Itachi announced, placing his teacup back on the table.

A loud clatter sounded when his mother dropped her chopsticks, while his father raised a single brow at him, breakfast instantly forgotten. Sasuke merely grunted, not even looking up from his plate of rice.

After a few seconds, a wide smile broke over his mother's face. "That's wonderful news, Itachi!"

"It is certainly time," his father commented, smiling slightly. "When are you bringing her home to meet us?"

"Soon."

"It had better be soon, Itachi," his mother chided lightly, her eyes twinkling with happiness. "Engagement is a big event. I have lots to discuss with her. Planning the wedding takes time, you know."

"They are not even engaged yet, Okaa-san," Sasuke pointed out gruffly, not looking up from his breakfast.

"We have time. It is best not to pressure Sakura unnecessarily," Itachi said smoothly, keeping his irritation with Sasuke veiled. Unsurprisingly, it did not seem as if Sasuke had grown more accepting of the situation since their last conversation.

"Fine. At least let me get you the engagement ring," Mikoto offered, pushing her chair back.

Itachi stilled. The family engagement ring? His mother's ring? Eyes widening in alarm, Itachi quickly interrupted his mother. "That would not be necessary, Okaa-san."

His mother paused, looking bewildered. "And why not?" she asked guardedly.

Yes, why not? His mother had a point, for if this had been a true engagement, that would be exactly what he was expected to do. Itachi cursed himself for not thinking through his words. He had been uncharacteristically careless of late. It did not escape his notice that these occurrences always involved Sakura.

Sasuke put down his chopsticks with a clack before he turned a bland look to his mother. "Perhaps Nii-chan just wants to pick his own ring. It is for his fiancé, after all," he said, sounding bored.

His mother looked surprised. "Oh. But it is tradition, so-"

"Where is the ring?" Itachi interjected quietly. Sasuke's tone did not sit well with him. If he was not careful, Sasuke could jeopardize the mission with his personal disagreement with it.

His mother brightened. "I'll get it for you. Wait here."

When Mikoto was about the leave the room, his father stated, "You will obtain her parents' blessing, of course."

Before he could answer, Sasuke muttered, "Sakura's parents are no longer alive."

Itachi shot a sharp look at his brother. It was not something he was aware of, although it was obvious now that he thought about it. Sakura had never mentioned her parents, at least not to him, and she lived alone. Yet, Sasuke knew. Sasuke, who had been her teammate for years.

Sasuke's utterance brought to attention rather starkly just how little he knew of Sakura outside their ninja dealings. As vocal and conversational as she was, she had not revealed much personal information, except for trivial ones. Which was to be expected, he told himself. Why should Sakura do any differently?

"Poor girl," Mikoto murmured sympathetically, pausing at the doorway. "When did this happen?"

Itachi fought to keep his expression even when his mother turned her inquiring eyes towards him. Of course Mikoto would expect him to know the answer to the question. "It was a while back," he replied vaguely.

"When we were about fifteen, if I recall correctly," Sasuke supplied carelessly.

Itachi slid his eyes down to his teacup and picked it up, deliberately not reacting to his younger brother's proclamation. Was Sasuke so displeased with the situation that he wished to sabotage their cover?

"It's not something she wants to talk about," Itachi murmured, setting down his teacup after taking a sip.

"I don't blame her," Mikoto said in a soft voice. Then she smiled. "At least now she will have us, right?"

Itachi declined to respond, while Sasuke's brow twitched. As for their father, Fugaku only nodded absently at the comment.

"Well, let me get the ring for you, Itachi."

"Thank you, Okaa-san."

"No need for that. After all, I'm gaining a daughter, am I not?"

And with that, Mikoto left the room, leaving Itachi to wonder just how much more complicated this mission could get. It certainly had not gone the way he had anticipated at the beginning. He had not thought that the situation would spiral so far outwards, with so many unexpected knock-on effects.

Still, it would soon be over.

He simply had to manage the situation until the day of their engagement celebration.

000

* * *

000

Itachi found Sakura leaning against the bridge balustrades, at the location they had agreed to meet for this particular day. At his approach, she tilted her head towards him and smiled. Something in his chest twisted as he took in her appearance.

She was wearing a simple white sundress with a pair of casual sandals. Her pink hair was damp, suggesting that she had just showered after her usual morning training session. There was nothing unusual about the way she dress or the way she carried herself that day, but he found his attention riveted to her.

To him, she was beautiful.

She turned to face him, greeting him with a smile that sent a familiar warmth through him. Itachi decided then that naming what he felt for her a mere attraction might be an understatement. But he was not certain if he wished to delve further into what that might mean.

"Itachi."

He closed the distance between them. "Sakura."

Her smile was almost shy when she looked up at him through her lashes. "Well? What's the plan for today?"

He reached out to take her hand in his, watching as confusion spread across her features.

And then he pressed the ring into her palm firmly, trusting her to accept the family heirloom. It felt odd, giving it to her, but strangely right at the same time. The fact that he could not picture giving the ring to anyone else at that very moment told him that Sakura might have burrowed further into his heart than he had realized.

Her eyes flickered uncertainly as she stared down at the ring resting on her palm. He saw her throat bob when she swallowed hard before she looked back up at him. Her expression appeared almost pained, much to his consternation. It was not his intention to upset her.

"It was my mother's engagement ring."

"Itachi, I can't take this. It is too precious," she told him in a slightly unsteady voice. "Isn't there something simpler you could get me?"

Her reluctance was unexpected, as well as the sting that accompanied it. Giving her a wry smile, he told her, "My mother expects you to wear it. You are engaged to her eldest son, after all."

She stared at him with wide eyes.

"My parents wish to meet you."

She blinked once, and then, apprehension flashed across her emerald orbs. It was amusing how she never flinched at the thought of battle with a more powerful shinobi, but was nervous at the notion of meeting his parents, Itachi thought with an inward smile.

"When?" she asked in a rather weak voice.

"As soon as possible. Dinner today, perhaps."

She swallowed.

"This is necessary."

"I know."

He could clearly hear her reluctance, and could not help but wonder if she now regretted being involved in the first place. Like Daisuke had once said, Sakura was now the centerpiece of this whole situation, a situation she clearly had not wished for in the first place, therefore they had no choice but to do this. And perhaps Sasuke had a point. Her reluctance may be because she realized the effect this farce might have on her life in Konoha.

"Sakura?" he prompted.

And then she took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do it."

Itachi nodded, glad that she had agreed, but then again, she was professional enough not to shirk her responsibilities in this mission. It was irrational, he knew, but he wished that she did not feel quite so reluctant at the notion of meeting his parents.

000

* * *

000

This was certainly far from pleasant, Sasuke thought as he stared down into his bowl.

However, it appeared that he was the only one who thought so. Opposite him, Sakura was beaming at his mother, who was in turn, very taken with the pink-haired kunoichi. Even his father seemed to be growing fond of Sakura. And Itachi… Sasuke simply did not want to look at his older brother, for the fear of what he might see.

Disregarding Itachi, the scene at the dinner table was a picture of domestic bliss.

Only it was a farce.

Sasuke still could not place why he found the situation so unbearable. It was just a mission, an assignment to complete. He should not care one way or another, besides the fact that his teammate would soon reside in his house. And that would not be too bad. As annoying as Sakura was sometimes, he truly did not mind having her around.

Perhaps he simply did not like the thought of his brother and Sakura being in such close proximity, and linked in such an intimate manner. He knew that it was supposed to be a mission, that nothing between Itachi and Sakura was real. At least, not any of the relationship aspect. He knew that once the mission was over, things would go back to normal. That was, his brother back to his ANBU, not gallivanting around Konoha with his pink-haired teammate. And that Sakura would return to her usual self, going for lunches with him and Naruto instead of Itachi, and generally be with Team 7 instead of spreading herself all too thin.

Perhaps that was what that was the source of his annoyance. Frowning, he turned over the idea in his head. Was he concerned that Sakura might not return to them? Or that things would change between Sakura and the rest of Team 7 when this whole mess was over? But they had gone through so many things together that it was ludicrous to think that the team would break apart over something like this.

Like what?

Unable to pinpoint exactly what 'this' was, Sasuke hissed and continued to brood.

This was different than when he had first found out about Itachi pursuing Sakura. At that time, he and the rest of Team Kakashi had assumed that it was real. They had no reason to think otherwise, after all. It might have taken a while, but he had eventually accepted their relationship. Still, there had been a time or two that he had wondered what if, what if he had asked Sakura out? Or accepted one of her requests for dates. But he had pushed those questions to the back of his mind, since he was of the impression that Sakura was Itachi's.

But now that Itachi and Sakura were not really involved in a relationship, that thought was back again, confusing him further. It made him think about Sakura's declaration years ago. It was ancient news, but recently, it had been brought to the fore of his mind. It made him consider Sakura in _that_ way. It was something that he had squashed until about a week ago when Itachi had revealed that the relationship between him and Sakura was not real.

And now, he was once again plagued with Sakura-related 'what-if's. What if he asked her out once this mission was over? What if she said yes? What if she said no?

What if, during the course of this assignment, Sakura truly fell for Itachi and got her heart broken?

Sasuke's mood darkened further at the thought. Sakura was soft-hearted, and was prone to give too much to others. As for Itachi, he had not shown any indication of wanting a relationship and had resisted all attempts at arranged marriage thus far, and Sasuke doubted that that would suddenly change. It was perplexing enough that Itachi had managed to fool Konoha into believing he and Sakura was truly having a real relationship in the first place. But then again, this was probably not the first time Itachi had taken such a mission.

For Sakura, it was a different matter. This whole assignment spelled disaster, and Sasuke was concerned that his teammate might not come out of it unscathed.

Sasuke felt like punching something. He could not remember the last time he had felt so annoyed and confused.

"Sasuke? Why are you not eating?"

He looked up to find everyone staring at him questioningly. Uncomfortable with the attention, she replied gruffly, "I'm full, Okaa-san."

His mother looked surprised. "But you haven't even finished half your rice."

"Neh, are you coming down with something?" Sakura asked, her brows furrowing in concern. "I can give you a quick check up."

He shook his head. "That's not necessary. I'm just a little tired from training."

"For the ANBU examinations?" his father asked. "Hatake-san is pushing you adequately, I presume?"

"Yes, Chichi-ue."

"Good." Turning to Sakura, his father asked, "You will be taking the exams as well?"

Sakura nodded, but Sasuke could see a flash of caution in her eyes. "Yes, Fugaku-san."

"Between all your shinobi obligations, do you have enough time to prepare for the wedding?" Mikoto asked, passing a dish to her. "Here, try some of this."

Sakura accepted the pickled radish from her. "Thank you, Mikoto-san." Before putting it in her mouth, she addressed his mother's question. "To be honest, I haven't thought much about it."

"There is plenty of time, Okaa-san," Itachi supplied evenly.

Sasuke bit back a snort. There was plenty of time because Itachi and Sakura had no intention of going through with it. Their mother and father would be disappointed when they eventually found out that the whole thing was a farce.

Perhaps that was why he felt so uncomfortable with the whole ruse. It struck too close to him for comfort. It affected his personal life, and his parents. He could only imagine the interrogation he would be subjected to by his parents once this was all over, considering that his brother was not the type to elaborate on things. And Itachi, for all his genius, was the root of all this.

No one could expect him to be pleased by this, Sasuke brooded.

"Perhaps ANBU could wait."

At his father's proclamation, Sasuke's eyes shot wide open. Darting a glance at Sakura, he found her staring at his father in surprise and a hint of affront. Those words were typical of Fugaku, but whilst Sasuke was used to it, he knew that Sakura was not. Furthermore, he knew her well enough to know that she disliked any interference in her role as a shinobi.

Sakura laid down her chopsticks slowly before responding politely, "Fugaku-san. I thank you for your concern, but I'll definitely be taking the exams as planned." She smiled to soften her words, glancing at him. "Besides, Sasuke, Naruto and I have been working hard to pass the exams. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded once.

Fugaku's brows furrowed slightly. "Surely the engagement should be-"

"Chichi-ue," Itachi interjected calmly. "I do not wish for Sakura to neglect her duties as a kunoichi."

Sasuke watched his father tense at his older brother's words. Eyes on Itachi now, Fugaku pointed out stonily, "I'm sure you're aware that it is not possible for her to continue in such a manner once you are wedded."

"Sakura is an exceptional kunoichi, Chichi-ue. It would be a waste of talent to have her remain at home when she could be more productive elsewhere," Itachi retorted smoothly.

"She would have her duties as your _wife_, Itachi," Fugaku ground out.

Sasuke could not help but feel sorry for Sakura, who was currently pinching the bridge of her nose, shaking her head slowly side to side. She really did not need to see or hear this. Glancing at the other woman seated there, Sasuke frowned. How could his mother be still eating like nothing was going on?

"You should eat more, Sasuke," Mikoto offered calmly.

Before he could even shake his head, Itachi's words drew Sasuke's attention away from his mother and back to the argument.

"I'm certain Sakura would not neglect her responsibilities as my wife."

"I'm still here, you know," Sakura muttered, but neither Itachi nor Fugaku paid her any attention.

His father went on grimly, "There are certain clan duties that come with the position. The clan expects Sakura to-"

"Perhaps we should discuss this at a later date," Itachi interjected, his voice carrying a dangerous edge to it.

"Yes, let's leave it, alright?" Mikoto spoke for the first time since the subject commenced. Her tone was firm and uncompromising.

Fugaku must have realized that pushing Itachi at that point was futile, especially now that Mikoto had spoken up for Itachi as well. However, Sasuke could tell from the gleam in his father's eyes that this topic was far from over. He supposed he should expect future meals to be similar to this one once Sakura moved in.

Great, just great.

Perhaps he should consider taking his dinner with Naruto in the future.

000

* * *

000

One week had passed since her dinner at the Uchiha compound, but the event persisted in repeating itself in her mind, especially these couple of days. Perhaps it was because she would move into the compound very soon and therefore, was bound to think about it more often.

Sakura sighed inwardly. Each time she thought about it, she felt her stomach sinking. She got along well enough with Itachi's mother and in their short acquaintance realized that she actually liked the older woman. Itachi's father was another matter, though. It was clear that he expected Itachi's wife to behave like a proper Uchiha wife, putting the clan instead of her career first.

If this was a real engagement, she probably would have cried her eyes out in frustration and distress after that dinner. Then she would have been forced to contemplate if the relationship was worth sacrificing her career.

But since it was just an act, she only had the right to feel mightily irritated by Fugaku's words.

Then why was she actually dismayed by the whole encounter? What Fugaku had said was nothing she had not expected. After all, she had gone through a similar thing once, albeit in the form of a girlfriend instead of a fiancé. And at that time, she had made it more than clear what she wanted out of life, and that was not spending it stashed in some clan compound, breeding the next clan prodigy. Neji had understood that, and had accepted that it would never work out, which then led to their mutual agreement that they should end the relationship. There were other factors which led to their separation, but that was not relevant now.

This time, the relationship with Itachi was not even real. So her dismay was completely out of proportion with the situation. Surely her attraction to Itachi was not that deep that she had subconsciously considered a more serious, REAL relationship with him? Surely she could not be subconsciously wondering what it would be like to be Itachi's wife, of all things.

It was ridiculous.

Huffing at the idiocy of her musings, Sakura finished off her onigiri and stood up from the bench just outside the hospital, where she had been taking her late lunch after an emergency operation. Tsunade had called her before dawn, demanding her presence and she had gone right away. The onigiri was the only thing she had since dinner last night.

Stretching, she walked away from the hospital, intending to go home to finish packing. She had started last night, so all she needed to do was to add a few more items and she would be all set for a prolonged stay at the Uchiha compound. Still, it was not as if she was giving up her apartment, so she could still come back for things if she needed them.

She had just walked past the ramen stall when she sensed a familiar presence. Pleasantly surprised, Sakura spun around.

"Neji!" she called out enthusiastically. "Haven't seen you for a while."

The pale-eyed shinobi nodded in greeting. "I've just returned."

"One of your ANBU missions?"

"Yes." He stopped in front of her. "What about you? Missions?"

"I'd tell you about it but it's confidential, you know," she responded vaguely. She could not really go into details anyway.

"Any preparation for your ANBU entrance exams?"

At the reminder, Sakura groaned out loud. "Haven't done much except training in the morning, but Kakashi-sensei is pushing us quite hard. Anyway, it's difficult to do more because things have been hectic recently."

"I'm not surprised."

Something about his tone made her raise a brow. "You're not?" she asked carefully.

Neji's pale eyes dropped to her hand, focusing on the ring. "That's the first thing I heard when I stepped into Konoha last night. The guards thought I should know." His lips twisted wryly. "I suspect they pity me."

Sakura winced when she realized that Neji was referring to her engagement to Itachi. Things were too rushed to get word to Neji, especially considering that he was not in Konoha. She hoped that he was not too offended. Besides, it was not as if this whole thing was real, right?

"So, congratulations are in order."

Injected the correct amount of enthusiasm in her voice took some effort. "Um… Thanks," she finally managed.

"When did this happen?" he prodded quietly.

"Itachi asked me about a week ago."

His eyes were unnervingly sharp when he regarded her. "I assume you know what you're getting yourself into."

"I think so."

"You think so?"

Sakura scolded herself for her slip. She needed to sound certain, or she'd never fool her friend. "Yes, Neji. I know what I'm getting into."

His gaze never left her. "You love him, then?"

She let out an exasperated huff. "What's with all the questions?"

"Just wondering if you're being pressured into it," he replied frankly. "It's all a little fast, don't you think?"

"Well, I doubt it is the shortest courtship in Konoha," she retorted dryly. Knowing that she needed to get away from Neji's questions before he tripped her up into admitting the truth, Sakura looked away from him. "I need to go."

"You're rushing, Sakura. Why?" he asked, raising a brow, following her without pause.

"I'm moving into the Uchiha compound, so I need to pack a few things," she explained, trying to keep her tone light. It was hard to sound eager when the mere thought of moving there made her stomach churn with nerves.

Neji's eyes flickered. "You don't sound too happy about it."

Cursing herself inwardly for her transparency, she forced herself to chuckle. Keep as close to the truth as possible, she told herself sternly. "I'm just feeling a little nervous. It's a big step and all."

"Yes, it is." He looked concerned. "Are you sure about this?"

Sakura sighed. Neji knew her too well to be fooled like everyone else. Or perhaps he was simply more perceptive. Sticking to the story she had agreed with Itachi, she explained, "That's why we are doing this. Moving into the Uchiha compound is sort of a trial run."

"Moving in with your in-laws is a trial run?" Neji raised a brow. "That's not like you, Sakura."

She bristled. "And what is like me? How should I react, since you know me so well?"

His head tilted slightly to one side while he considered her words. Sakura held her breath, knowing that she probably would not like what Neji would say next.

When Neji spoke, his voice was low but intense. "You wouldn't agree to move in to the Uchiha compound in the first place. You know you'd be expected to behave in a certain manner, and adhere to certain rules. The kind of restriction that comes with such a life is not something you would even consider agreeing to."

"It's different this time," she protested, even though Neji had hit the truth. It was scary just how well he knew her, but then again, they had dated for a while. It could even be said that they had a very good relationship. She could not help but feel a little wistful as she wondered what it would have been like if things had been different in the end.

"Perhaps the situation is different," he conceded. "But you are still the same person, are you not?"

Sakura groaned inwardly. At the rate she was going, she would end up blowing her cover.

"Look, Sakura. You played a major role in stopping me from making a big mistake once. Let me return the favor. Don't move in to the Uchiha compound. It will just make you miserable."

This time, she groaned out loud. "Neji, just drop it, okay. My mind is made up."

Neji stared hard at her, obviously annoyed by her response. "You are as stubborn as you were before."

"Neji!" she snapped heatedly, quickly losing her temper. "Honestly, please drop this."

For a moment, she thought that he was going to ignore her and continue to press her on the topic. She did not know what she should do if that was the case. Her only worry was that she might inadvertently let out the true reason why he should not be concerned about this entire situation.

"Alright."

Her eyes shot up at him, her anger deflating. "Alright?"

Neji's lips quirked. "If you don't want my advice, at least let me help you move."

She gave him a baleful look. "I'm quite capable of carrying my own bags."

"I know." With a smirk, he added, "Humor me, alright?"

"Only if you don't keep pressing me about Itachi." She scowled. "It's annoying."

"Fine." Lightly, he added, "It is not as if you'll listen, anyway."

Sakura rolled her eyes, turning away from him to walk towards her place. "So, are you coming or not?"

"Has anyone told you that you have no patience?"

"Yes. You."

"Some things just never change." His tone was flat.

Glad that their argument was over, Sakura let out a relieved chuckle. She knew that she could never stay mad at Neji for long.

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Itachi stood unmoving while his eyes followed the two figures walking away from the hospital grounds.

Although he had not been able to hear their words, it was obvious that their conversation had been intense. Sakura had worn her frustration on her sleeves while the way the Hyuuga had held himself suggested that he was moments from losing his control.

And yet, now they were walking side by side, conversing amiably as if the earlier argument had never occurred.

Itachi frowned in displeasure.

It was common knowledge that Sakura and the Hyuuga had a relationship before. One which had ended some time ago. However, it was clear that their failed courtship had not affected their close friendship.

Was friendship the only thing that was between them? Or was there more?

Itachi shook the questions away. He had no hold on Sakura's personal life, therefore such things should not concern him. She was only masquerading as his fiancée. There was nothing more between them despite his attraction to her.

And he had to keep it that way.

Unless…

"Oi, Uchiha!"

Itachi paused in his contemplations, turning around at the boisterous call. As expected, Naruto was running towards him with a large grin on his face. It was astounding just how much the blonde's attitude towards him had changed ever since he found out that there was no real relationship between Sakura and him.

Skidding to a halt, Naruto asked breathlessly, "Have you seen Sakura?"

Itachi directed his gaze in the direction Sakura and the Hyuuga had disappeared to earlier. "I believe she was heading home."

"Oh, I want to help her move."

Was that the reason the Hyuuga had followed her? When Naruto continued to stand there, frowning slightly, Itachi decided to give him a little push. "Then perhaps you should not delay."

Naruto jumped, drawn away from whatever it was that he was thinking. Grinning again, he nodded. "Yeah, I should." He jogged a few steps away, and then paused, looking back. "Say, you want to come along? We're going to your place afterwards anyway."

Itachi was about to say no. He could simply wait for them at home.

However, following Naruto meant that he most likely will see Sakura and the Hyuuga together. Perhaps that would shed some light on their true relationship.

Even as he deliberated the sanity of interfering with Sakura's personal life, Itachi found himself agreeing to Naruto's proposal. Not wasting any time, Naruto led them down the familiar route to Sakura's apartment, chattering all the way. The journey was not a long one, and all the way, Itachi could not help but wonder what the relationship between Sakura and her ex was.

"We're here!" Naruto announced needlessly as he bounded up the communal stairs.

Itachi followed at a more sedate pace until they came to Sakura's apartment door. Loud bangs followed as Naruto slammed his fist against the wood, uncaring that it might splinter. Sakura would surely not stand for that, Itachi mused.

Fortunately for Naruto, the Hyuuga was the one who opened the door, his pale eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly when he saw them. Itachi was under no illusion that the other ANBU's displeasure was directed at him, not Naruto.

"Neji! You're helping Sakura move as well?" Naruto greeted with a wide grin. "Where is she?"

Stepping aside to let Naruto pass, the Hyuuga replied, "In her bedroom."

Naruto went straight towards said bedroom, while Itachi stood at the threshold, keeping his eyes on the long-haired shinobi. Hyuuga Neji was tense, and his displeasure became more evident the moment Naruto left them alone. Well, Itachi thought, the tiresome displeasure was reciprocated.

Deciding to be direct, he asked mildly, "Is there something you wish to say, Hyuuga?"

The Hyuuga's eyes glinted with unmistakable challenge. "Fine. Who proposed this move to the Uchiha compound? And why?"

"I believe that is none of your concern," Itachi returned calmly.

"I'm simply wondering how you've coerced her into this."

Suppressing his ire, Itachi replied stonily, "There was no coercion involved. Sakura is more than… willing."

In a chilly tone, the other shinobi responded, "So you think. Or perhaps you are simply deluding yourself."

"I am under no delusion."

He was under no delusion that Sakura was doing this because she was simply obeying Tsunade's orders. The thought however, sent a pang through his chest but he ignored it. Right now, he needed all his focus on the other man, who was intent on thwarting the move, it seemed, not that Itachi would allow him.

"You are aware of the reason for our separation, then?" the Hyuuga suddenly asked in a hard tone.

"No." And he did not wish to listen further to Sakura's previous relationship with the other shinobi.

Before the Hyuuga could continue, Sakura's and Naruto's voices reached them, much to Itachi's satisfaction.

"At least Teme will be there to watch over you."

"I can take care of myself, Naruto!" she snapped, but there was no venom in her words. "You're worrying unnecessarily."

"Come to think of it, have you seen Sasuke?" A pause followed before Naruto continued, "He seems really busy with something these days."

Sakura appeared from her room, carrying a large pack. Her attention was taken up by Naruto's words. There was a thoughtful frown marring her brows, and strangely enough, Itachi felt his fingers twitch with the desire to smooth the frown away.

"Yeah, Sasuke seems a little off," he heard her say to Naruto.

"Off?" This time, Naruto frowned, shifting another backpack onto his shoulder. "I haven't seen the bastard enough to notice anything. What do you think is wrong with him?"

Sakura flicked a quick glance at him and Itachi felt something within him jump. "Itachi," she greeted before returning her attention to Naruto and rolling her eyes. "How should I know what's wrong with Sasuke? But I guess I'll ask him, since I'll probably see him soon. Staying under the same roof and all." Her eyes met his once again. "Sasuke will be home tonight, right?"

Itachi inclined his head. "He is usually home for dinner."

"Dinner?" Naruto's face scrunched, and then his eyes rounded in horror when he saw the time. "DINNER!"

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, looking baffled by Naruto's behavior.

"I… ah…" His face reddened. "I need to…" he broke off. Then he turned a pleading look at Sakura. "Neh, Sakura-chan…"

Itachi watched as confusion spread across the kunoichi's face. Naruto was certainly behaving odd at the moment. Almost apologetic, in fact. Curiously, he was also shooting apprehensive looks the Hyuuga. Itachi wondered what the blonde had done now.

"Naruto…" Sakura began in a warning tone. "What are you up to?"

Naruto shook his head vigorously, eyes wide. "It's not anything bad, I promise! It's just…" he faltered again, darting another nervous look at the Hyuuga, who had narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Clearly, the Hyuuga also suspected that something was untoward.

Sakura planted her hands on her hips. "Naruto…"

A tinge of red stained Naruto's cheeks. "I… uh… asked Hinata out and-"

"What?" a soft, threatening voice interrupted.

Naruto paled. "Ah, Neji. It's like this, you see-"

"You asked Hinata out?!" Sakura interjected enthusiastically. "You FINALLY noticed! It's about time."

Eyes bulging, Naruto choked out, "You knew?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Everyone knew." She nudged the glowering Hyuuga hard, pinning a stern look on him. "Even Neji, right?"

The Hyuuga looked as if he was about to say something, the moment of silent communication which passed between Sakura and him stopped whatever it was that he wanted to say. It was a testament to Sakura's power over the male that the Hyuuga soon adopted a resigned expression, obviously persuaded to drop his animosity towards Naruto.

The whole exchange irked Itachi more than he thought was possible.

"What are you waiting for, Naruto? Go get ready for you date!" Sakura cried out excitedly, pushing Naruto towards the door as she took her second backpack from him. "Remember to go to Ino's for some flowers. She'd be able to pick the right ones for you."

Beaming now, Naruto replied, "Thank you, Sakura-chan! You're the best." He glanced at her backpacks. "What about-"

"Don't worry about that," she interjected quickly. "If I can swing a tree, I can handle two backpacks."

"Then you'll be okay?"

"Yes!" she hissed impatiently, pushing him out of the door. "And Naruto?"

Naruto blinked.

"Don't mess this up!"

Naruto grinned, and then stuck a thumb up. "I won't, Sakura-chan."

And with that, the blonde disappeared from their sight, leaving Sakura standing at the door holding two backpacks.

"Give it to me, Sakura," Itachi commanded evenly.

She handed him one of the backpacks without question, much to his approval. Slanting a glance at the Hyuuga, Itachi noticed that he was far from pleased by Sakura's compliance to his instruction.

"I'll take the other one," the Hyuuga offered.

"I can assist her," Itachi insisted evenly, before Sakura could say anything. "It is not necessary for you to trouble yourself."

"It is no trouble," the Hyuuga returned without hesitation. "Sakura is, after all, a _close_ friend of mine."

"And I am her fiancé. It seems rather pointless for all of us to go, don't you think? And the Hyuuga compound is in the opposite direction." Gesturing to the two backpacks, Itachi continued, "Sakura and I are more than capable of transporting the two items to my house."

"Yes, indeed," Sakura muttered dryly. "So, I guess it's just me and Itachi, then. Thanks for coming, anyway, Neji."

Neji frowned. "Are you sure you don't-"

"It is okay, Neji," she interjected. Then, pointedly, "Really."

"Sakura."

"Neji." There was a warning tone in her voice.

Sakura exchanged another look with the Hyuuga, and some private communication passed between them. Itachi was no longer surprised by his own reaction when annoyance flared within him. It seemed that when it concerned Sakura, he tended to be on a rather short fuse. His usual apathy seemed to have vanished along with his rationale. It was disturbing, to say the least.

Finally, the eye contact between Sakura and the Hyuuga broke.

Inclining his head at them, the pale-eyed ANBU said, "I'll take my leave then."

Sakura nodded. "Catch up with you later, okay?"

The Hyuuga nodded. "We will." A brief pause followed before he added, "As planned."

Itachi felt another stab of annoyance. They planned on meeting up? He glanced at Sakura to see her nodding back at the Hyuuga, completely oblivious to the fact that her behavior might be misconstrued by others.

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Sakura watched as Neji left her apartment, but not before casting a veiled look at Itachi. She had seen variations of that look before coming from Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke, normally directed at some unfortunate male that they had deemed unsuitable for her. Typical, she thought fondly before turning back to her so-called fiancé. Her mood instantly darkened at the thought of what had just happened minutes ago.

However, before she could open her mouth, Itachi hefted one backpack over his shoulder and asked, "Are you prepared to leave?"

She nodded. "Itachi-"

"Then come," he commanded, turning and walking out of the door.

Eyes narrowed, she hissed under her breath. That man had some nerve, she thought as she took the other backpack and locked the door behind her. Surely he was not that dense? Surely he knew the way he had acted in front of Neji a while ago was nothing short of confrontational, and not too subtly either.

The way he acted...

Acted?

Her brows furrowed, staring at Itachi's retreating back. Could he be that he was just acting out his role of a possessive, jealous fiancé? It had not occurred to her before, but now that she thought about it, it was very likely that that was the case. Otherwise his reaction would not make any sense at all. He had no personal interest in her, after all. Unlike her, who was attracted to him and trying valiantly to hide it.

Still, it was best to talk to him about that thing with Neji. If this was a real engagement, she would not stand for such treatment towards her friends. No one who knew her would believe that she would let her fiancé do something like that.

With that thought, she jogged towards him. It did not take long to catch up with the walking Uchiha. She reached his side when they were just passing a small, secluded park.

"Itachi!"

His steps slowed. "Sakura," he acknowledged without glancing at her.

Tamping down her irritation at his bland response, she asked evenly, "Would you like to tell me what happened back there?"

Itachi's steps halted, and he turned to face her. "I assume you are referring to Hyuuga Neji."

"You assumed right. Now what was that all about? You were sort of…" She wrinkled her forehead, searching for a non-confrontational word, and finally settled for, "…pushy."

"It was necessary."

Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe you'd like to tell me why you think it was necessary."

"His interest in you is detrimental to your role in this mission."

Her jaw dropped. It took some effort before she found her voice again. "His interest?" Sakura squeaked incredulously. What the hell was he talking about? "He's not _interested_ in me, Itachi. We are friends."

"Perhaps."

She bristled. "There is no 'perhaps' about it. We are FRIENDS," she stressed.

This time, she saw his brows furrow in annoyance. "Sakura, you used to be… close, were you not?"

She waited for him to continue. He seemed to be conflicted, if the almost imperceptible changes in expression in his eyes were any indication. It was so unlike Itachi to hesitate, and she did not know what to make of it.

Finally, he spoke, "It is unseemly for a potential Uchiha bride to be associated closely with a Hyuuga."

She fought the urge to groan. Something told her that the answer was too convenient, but she could not refute the validity of his words. The Uchiha clan was pretty traditional, and who knew what odd customs they followed? Furthermore, it was common knowledge that the Uchiha clan and the Hyuuga clan were not the best of friends.

"I see," she muttered, not knowing what else to say. After a moment of silence, she added, "Still, he is my friend."

"Hm."

His response was neither here nor there, she noted with exasperation. Glancing around them to assure her that no one was close enough to see or hear them, Sakura said in a low voice, "Look, you can't expect me to condone such treatment towards my friends if you want this engagement of ours to look real. I would never sit back and let any fiancé of mine curb my friendship with others."

"Hm."

Her irritation mounted. "Is that all you have to say?"

His expression remained placid. "In the same manner, one would not expect me to remain silent if my intended ventures too close to another man, especially once whom she had romantic interest for in the past."

She blinked. "I don't know about that, Itachi. I think most people don't expect you to react anyway in public at all."

"Others would expect me to simply observe in silence?" he returned, sounding almost offended.

For some reason, she wanted to laugh at his expression. And maybe hug him. She had to cut the thought short before it went anywhere it shouldn't go. This warm feeling growing inside her was no doubt the result of Itachi's unusual display of emotion. He was usually so stoic and reserved that whenever he exhibited any sort of feelings, it just took her breath away.

"You're not usually so… uh… demonstrative," she pointed out, trying to keep a serious face. She did not want to upset him, after all.

"Demonstrative," he repeated flatly.

She nodded. "I don't know what you think, but most of us see you as this unflappable shinobi, cold and efficient." Waving her hand around vaguely, she added, "Or something like that."

"Unflappable," he repeated stonily.

She was not explaining herself well, was she? An exasperated huff left her. "Look, your reaction just now was a bit too much. It screams possessiveness."

Itachi tensed visibly.

"That's right," she said. "No one expects you to be possessive, right? That's just how people see you. So…" She gestured around her again. "Just be yourself, alright?"

This time, Itachi looked away, and Sakura could almost hear him exhale loudly. A part of her wondered if she had been too blunt. Frowning inwardly, she stared down at her sandals. Perhaps she should tone it down, even though the thought of a possessive Itachi did something strange to her insides. She should really avoid thinking about such things, because it just muddled her mind further. It was not as if she needed more things to worry about.

Living under the same roof with Itachi would be no small strain on her nerves. She had to make sure that she acted like a convincing fiancé while keeping her very real attraction for Itachi firmly under wraps. Simple. Right?

And now that Sasuke knew the truth, she could always use him as a buffer. Discreetly, of course. It would not do to be too obvious about it. People would expect her to spend a lot of time with Sasuke as well, seeing that he was her teammate. So that should work. Right?

"Are you finished?"

Jolted out of her less than pleasant contemplations, she jerked up her gaze at him. "What?"

His lips twitched. "You were chastising me. Are you finished?"

Was he mocking her now? She scowled. "Only if you stop overreacting."

"Duly noted."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't mock me."

"I was not," he returned smoothly before resuming his steps.

Sakura glowered darkly at his shoulders as he walked away. This was just great. She had not even moved in yet and they were already bickering like an old married couple. It was a good thing their relationship was not real. Who knew how long she would last, otherwise.

Still, attraction or not, sometimes, Itachi was really infuriating.

Silently, Sakura followed Itachi back to the Uchiha compound. They drew a number of curious stares as they passed the numerous Uchihas on the way to his house, but Itachi simply swept her past them without so much as a greeting. She was relieved that the curious on-lookers simply let them pass. It might have something to do with the do-not-approach vibes Itachi was emanating.

Sakura grinned inwardly.

Before she knew it, they arrived at Itachi's home.

Suddenly, Sakura's nerves decided to make their presence known, and she felt her heart race. She was really going to do this. She was really going to live here, as Itachi's _fiancé_, under the same roof as him. What was she thinking, accepting this mission, knowing that it would be hard to remain emotionally removed from it?

If it was not for Tsunade's orders, she might have made a run for it.

"Calm yourself."

"I'm calm," she replied weakly, catching his eyes.

"You need not be concerned," he told her quietly. "Okaa-san is… fond of you."

Not sure what to make of his declaration, she licked her lips nervously, not missing the way his onyx eyes were drawn towards them. She stiffened as his hand, the one not holding her pack, slipped around her waist, holding her possessively. Heat shot through her at the touch and she almost gasped out loud. The look he wore reiterated his earlier words to her but Sakura found it difficult to relax. The next thing she knew, he lowered his head to brush his lips over her forehead.

"It will be fine," he murmured against her skin.

Sakura's heart clenched.

No time to think of the implication of his actions now, she decided as Itachi straightened and pushed the door open.

Uchiha Mikoto was already standing there, waiting. And Sakura could not help but wonder how much she had overheard.

"Mikoto-san," Sakura greeted with a respectful bow.

"Okaa-san."

"Sakura. Itachi. Come in," Mikoto smiled sincerely.

Sakura smiled back, suddenly feeling a little guilty. This lovely woman was of the impression that her relationship with Itachi was real and Sakura found herself disliking being a part of the deception. Apparently, Itachi was not unaffected as well, for his hand gave her waist a small, reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you, Mikoto-san."

Beaming, Itachi's mother took her elbow and gently drew her into the house, leaving Itachi trailing behind. Sakura instantly felt the loss of Itachi's reassuring touch upon her waist but allowed the older woman to guide her.

"I've prepared as much as I can, but of course you can make any changes you like," Mikoto said.

Sakura darted a look over her shoulder at Itachi, surprised to find that he did not seem to mind his mother preparing his room for her arrival. Her so-called fiancé was wearing his usual impassive expression. Silently, her nerves stretching tighter with every step she took, Sakura followed the Uchiha matriarch further into the house with Itachi lagging slightly behind her.

Stepping into a room, Mikoto held the door open to let them in. "Here's your room, Sakura," she announced, sweeping her arm in an arc across the room.

Sakura's eyes dropped to the floor. There was a narrow futon laid out in the middle of the room, obviously meant for a single occupant.

What?

Blinking, Sakura turned to Itachi. Without thinking, she opened her mouth and blurted out, "We are not sharing a room?"

And immediately cringed when she realized what she had said.

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A/N: That's it for this chapter. Please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

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Sakura didn't miss the glint of "OMG-Sharingan-wielding-grand-babies-YAY!" that flashed in Mikoto's eyes. She'd just entered a very dangerous household indeed.

"Oh, well, I hadn't realized... you were both so... ah... You see, due to the clan's traditions, normally you wouldn't..."

Sakura's cheeks flared as she realized her gaff, all while Mikoto walked to the closet and pulled out another futon to lie alongside her own. Both of which were already fully sheeted and blanketed. As if the Uchiha matriarch had somehow already planned this, should the need arise and need her immediate assistance to invoke it.

"There. Shouldn't have any problems anymore with the grandbabies--I mean, your stay with us. I'll see you both at supper!"

Itachi and Sakura stood looking uncomfortably at the now double-sized futon.

"And I know you have a lot to, ah, talk about," came Mikoto's encouraging voice from the hallway, "so take all the time you need! It's ok, we won't disturb you! Even if you need to talk through supper and long into the night!"

The giddy mother-in-law to-be tittered happily to herself, and Sakura could have sworn she heard the woman mumble something about sewing patterns for onesies with the Uchiha crest.

Still somewhat stunned, the pink-haired kunoichi continued to lookuncomfortably at the now double-sized futon. After a moment she glanced up at her partner in confusion. Surely the great clan genius, Uchiha Itachi, would know what to do in such circumstances.

And indeed he did.

"Sexytiems?" asked Itachi.

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A/N: Many thanks to **moor **for the blooper above! Hehe… I'm afraid that's not happening, as fun as it is. Can't have them jumping into bed together so soon now, can we? (grins) As always, thank you all for your reviews for the previous chapter. And without further ado, here's the next chapter…

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 14**

"We are not sharing a room?"

And immediately cringed when she realized what she had said.

Sakura wished the floor would swallow her up when both Itachi and Mikoto both stared at her wordlessly. Even Itachi was stunned enough by her blunder to let his usual mask slip, revealing a look which was a mix of disbelief and something else she could not quite comprehend. If she was not so horrified at her own slip-up, she would have laughed out loud at his uncharacteristic display of emotion. But as mortified as she was, she could only stand there, waiting for the inevitable fall-out of her stupid slip of tongue.

"Oh," Mikoto exclaimed, blinking slowly, being the first to recover her voice. And then an understanding smile spread across her face. Eyes twinkling slightly, she went on, "If you wish to share Itachi's room, I'm sure it could be-"

"Okaa-san-" Itachi began, only to be waved into silence by his mother.

Still wearing that smile, Mikoto continued, "It's a case of sooner or later, right? His room is certainly spacious enough. So just let me-"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Sakura burst out, feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment. "I don't want to share a room with Itachi-" she broke off, squeezing her eyes shut while cursing herself for making the situation worse.

"You don't," Itachi murmured, almost to himself.

His tone made Sakura's eyes pop open to stare at him incredulously. He was observing some indiscernible point in the distance while Mikoto's gaze flicked back and forth between her and Itachi, a brow slightly raised. It was clear that she was quite unsure what to do.

Sakura shifted her gaze away from them and rubbed her forehead, embarrassed beyond words. Now she sounded as if she did not want to share a room with Itachi. Ever. It was hardly the sort of reaction one would expect from a fiancé. She had to fix this before Mikoto became suspicious. Please, please, let her get it right this time.

Taking a deep breath, she plundered on, "Mikoto-san. What I meant is-"

"Sakura is simply anxious, Okaa-san," Itachi interjected quietly. "She tends to be a little… muddled… when she is ill at ease."

Sakura nodded quickly. "I'm afraid Itachi's right. What I said just now… it's not like what it sounded. The words came out all wrong. I guess I'm just a little nervous. It's a big step, moving in here."

Mikoto's expression gentled instantly. "Now, there's nothing to be worried about, Sakura. You're part of our family now."

Sakura bit her lips, not knowing what to say to Mikoto's sincere welcome to their family. She felt like such a fraud.

She was a fraud!

The feeling of being trapped into this whole mission emerged suddenly, even though she had consented to it of her own free will at the beginning. Who knew it would spiral into something like this? Pretending to be a girlfriend was one thing, pretending to be a fiancé was another matter altogether.

Sakura felt like hitting something to ease her frustration.

"About the room-"

"We prefer to wait until after the wedding, Okaa-san," Itachi cut in before his mother could continue.

Sakura bit back a groan. Could one simply die from embarrassment?

"Well, if you're sure. I'll leave you to unpack now." Standing outside the door, Mikoto added, "See you at dinner."

"Thank you, Mikoto-san."

"Take care of anything she needs, won't you, Itachi?"

"Yes, Okaa-san."

And with that, his mother left them alone in the room.

Sakura closed her eyes briefly, and then let out a long breath. She did not quite dare to look at Itachi yet. Stepping across the room, she placed her backpack next to the large wooden wardrobe.

"That didn't quite go as planned," she muttered as she dug into her backpack.

Her only response was silence. Used to it, she continued to unpack. After all, if Itachi did not say anything, she would not be embarrassed further, right? How much worse could it get anyway? She could hardly make more of a fool of herself.

Still, she had to be glad that she was not actually sharing a room with Itachi. Goodness knew just how that would pan out. It would have been an ultimate test of her acting skills. At least now, she had some modicum of privacy and the option to let her guard down.

"You are agitated."

Her hands paused in the middle of pulling a towel out. Then she looked up to find Itachi eyeing her intently. "Well, that was one hell of a slip," she admitted sheepishly.

"The notion truly bothers you?"

Her brows knitted together. "What notion?"

"Sleeping in my room."

She really did not want to discuss this. What she had done was embarrassing enough without picking it to bits, but she knew that she had to say something to throw Itachi off the scent. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her voice and decided to give him half of the truth. "That's not it. I was thinking that we'd be sharing a room, so I was a little thrown, that's all. But it's just as well that we won't be, because as acceptable as it had been during missions, I doubt I'd feel comfortable with it in the long run." She shrugged carelessly. "Privacy, you know."

"Hm."

She frowned at his non-committal response. "How would you like having me around all the time that you don't even have a moment by yourself?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he replied, "It is not unacceptable."

Her jaw dropped in disbelief. When she finally found her voice, she sputtered, "You mind clarifying what that means?"

Itachi calmly made his way to the door. Without looking back he replied, "Your presence is not overly intrusive."

She blinked as he simply walked out, as if he had not said anything weird. Then she shook her head roughly and groaned.

Itachi was unfathomable at the best of times, even though she knew him well enough to read some of his less obvious signals now. But what the hell had he meant just a while ago? Not unacceptable? Not overly intrusive? All they told her was that he did not find her presence objectionable. Those statements were neither here nor there.

Sakura palmed her forehead wearily. There and then, she decided that it was best that she did not even try to make sense of half the things he uttered.

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Itachi studied Sakura silently as she assisted his mother with the dishes at the sink. The incident at her room several hours ago had been awkward, but now it seemed as if Sakura was slowly relaxing into her role.

The two women conversed in low tones, occasionally laughing, while he, his father and Sasuke sat at the table, finishing their tea. Aside from Fugaku's obvious, but now less verbal displeasure at Sakura's insistence on remaining a kunoichi after the wedding, dinner went well.

Itachi found himself unable to take his eyes away from Sakura, at the sight of her in his home, carrying out domestic tasks with ease. It made him wonder if this was what it would be like if the engagement was real.

It made him wonder if he should make the engagement real.

The notion sent a rush of warmth through him. Clearly, it was something he favored. He had to take a bride eventually, so why not Sakura? Whilst it was true that she knew nothing of his attraction to her, that was not to say that he could not change it. How would she react if she knew that he wanted her?

What of her career as a kunoichi? His father had a valid concern, for the responsibilities that came with the title of his wife were not light. Assuming that Sakura accepted his advances, would she consider accepting those sorts of responsibilities? Was that something he wished to burden her with?

"Itachi."

His contemplations interrupted, Itachi turned to face his father. "Yes, Chichi-ue?"

Fugaku seemed to consider his words before he spoke carefully. "Your mother voiced some… concerns about my comments regarding Sakura. I want you to know that I am not against this match, but I'm sure you're aware that things will become awkward with the elders if Sakura persists in her choice of career."

Itachi suppressed the urge to sigh. Out loud, he said, "I believe Sakura can manage both."

"Besides, Naruto and I will not allow Sakura to quit, Chichi-ue," Sasuke interjected suddenly, pushing his tea to the side. "She is our teammate."

Fugaku tensed, obviously surprised by his younger son's stance, while Itachi eyed Sasuke curiously. The younger shinobi's tone carried a hint of stubbornness, one which could possibly be directed to him, Itachi knew. His thoughts were confirmed with Sasuke's next words.

"Someone once told me that if we want to keep Sakura, then we must make sure she has no reason to leave," Sasuke added. "That's what Naruto and I intend to do."

Itachi raised a brow, recognizing his own words from a long time ago, words he had spoken right after Sakura had returned from her first mission with his ANBU team. He had not intended it in this manner; he had spoken generally then.

"All done," Sakura announced as she returned to the table.

"It's much faster with Sakura's help," Mikoto declared with a smile. "More tea, anyone?"

Fugaku shook his head. "I will retire to our room."

"I'll join you in a moment," Mikoto said as she tidied up around the area.

Itachi turned to Sakura, suddenly struck by the notion to ask her to sit with him. He was not certain what purpose such a thing would serve, but decided that he should handle it when the time came. Perhaps spending more time with her would provide him with some insight on how he should approach the notion of a possible genuine relationship with her.

However, before he could say anything, Sakura turned to Sasuke with a smile. "Neh, Sasuke. You have a minute or two? I need to discuss something with you."

Sasuke's brows drew together slightly. "About what?"

"Team stuff."

His younger brother stood up. "We can talk in my room," he agreed gruffly.

Itachi kept his expression bland. His annoyance at being thwarted from spending some time with Sakura was quickly overridden by the surprise of hearing Sasuke's words. His brother hardly allowed anyone in his room. So why Sakura? Perhaps after being teammates for so long, certain inhibitions no longer existed?

"Sure," Sakura replied without hesitation. "Let's go?"

"Hm."

Turning to his mother, she said, "Good night, Mikoto-san…"

Mikoto smiled. "Don't stay up too late. You have training tomorrow, don't you?"

Sakura nodded. "It shouldn't take long."

Her eyes landed on him, and flickered with something which looked suspiciously like indecision before she walked around the table to him. Itachi did not move at all, but he noticed that Sasuke had averted his face, while his smiling mother strode to the door, no doubt to allow them some privacy.

Sakura bent closer, brushing her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Itachi found himself having to press his palms against his thighs to stop himself from reaching up to cup her face. And then she broke the kiss and straightened away from him. It was all too soon, the thought escaped before Itachi could stop it.

"Good night, Itachi," she murmured softly.

And with that, she left with Sasuke, making Itachi wish that she was returning with him to his room instead.

000

* * *

000

Her first few nights in Itachi's home proved to be rather uneventful, much to her relief. In fact, after working herself up almost to a frenzy about how she would cope sleeping in the same room with Itachi, it had been a bit of a letdown.

For the last few days, she even managed to go through her morning routine without encountering any of the other Uchihas, which suggested either she was really early, or the rest of the household had gotten up and completed their own morning routines before her. It was probably the latter, she thought as she glanced at the bright sunlight filtering through the shoji screen.

This morning, she walked into the kitchen to find Sasuke there. Sasuke was seated at the table, pouring a cup of tea for himself, about to begin his breakfast. There was another place setting at the table.

After the conversation they had in his room at her first night in the house, Sakura was sure that there was something bothering her teammate. Unfortunately, she had not been able to pry anything out of him, even though she had threatened physical force. Sasuke had simply glared at her and told her to quit being an annoyance. She had eventually given up and returned to her room. However, the next day, Sasuke had reverted back to his normal self, much to her relief. Naruto had noticed the change as well, which was saying something.

"Morning, Sasuke-kun," she greeted before taking a seat opposite him.

He eyed her through his lashes, and nodded at the food. "Breakfast."

She ate the breakfast quickly, making a mental note to thank Mikoto again for it. It had been some time since she had woken up to freshly-cooked food at home, even simple ones like rice, pickles and soup. The last time she had a home-cooked breakfast was when her parent had been alive, she thought sadly.

"What's wrong?" he asked suddenly.

She glanced up from her almost-finished bowl of rice. "Just thinking."

"Hm."

He did not press, and she did not elaborate further. Sometimes, it was nice to have a teammate who knew her so well, but then what else did she expect? They had practically grown up together, after all.

Finishing his food, Sasuke stood up and placed the dishes in the sink. "Let's go. Or we will be late."

"I doubt we'll be later than Kakashi-sensei."

Nevertheless, she stood up and followed him.

Like the past few days, the curious stares which followed her and Sasuke as they walked through the Uchiha compound ranged from subtle to blatant. She did not know which one she preferred. All she knew was that she had better get used to it since she would be living there for at least a few more weeks.

Naturally, she found herself breathing easier when they finally left the compound behind.

"You'll get used to it."

She shot a surprised look at Sasuke.

"The stares," he elaborated.

"Oh."

And that was all that was spoken on the topic before they reached their usual training ground.

Trees surrounded the area, but there were a few upturned ones which had not been cleared up yet from their previous training session. In the far end of the grounds, there was a small crater, courtesy of Naruto and his Rasengan yesterday. And this was supposed to be training only. Sakura's lips twisted as she wondered just how far Naruto and Sasuke would take their rivalry.

Naruto was already there. Predictably, Kakashi was late. Again. But Sakura only shook her head in resignation when their tardy sensei finally arrived. Years had taught her that sometimes, it was just best to save her breath.

"Yo!" the Copy-Nin greeted with a raised hand. "Usual pairing today. We'll work on defense. Be prepared for a lot of dodging and blocking."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed unhappily. "But that's boring!"

Kakashi pinned a dry look on the blonde. "You might encounter someone you simply could not fight one-on-one during the exams. What are you going to do then?"

"Attack!"

"You can't just be attacking, Naruto," Sakura pointed out, feeling almost as exasperated as Kakashi must be feeling.

"But-"

"Naruto, pair up with Sasuke. You attack for the first half," Kakashi interjected firmly. "Then switch over. "Sakura, you're with me."

"Do I get a turn to attack?" she asked as she followed Kakashi away from the other two male members of her team.

He directed a one-eyed glance at her. Said eye creased as he replied cheerfully, "Of course, Sakura. If you feel like it afterwards."

Something about his words told her that she would not be.

"Slave driver," she muttered under her breath.

Without turning around, he chuckled. "I heard that, Sakura."

She wrinkled her nose at his back childishly.

Kakashi began the training once he deemed they were far enough from Sasuke and Naruto to avoid being accidental casualties of the two younger males' enthusiasm, while being close enough to keep an eye on them. Unsurprisingly, Kakashi's attacks were relentless, and Sakura found herself just managing to keep up an effective defense.

By late afternoon, she was almost dead on her feet, and was more than relieved when Kakashi called a halt to it.

Breathing hard, she slumped down onto her rump. Then she glanced to the side as Kakashi dropped to his haunches beside her. Sweat dotted his brow, and to her satisfaction, it looked as if he had worked just as hard as her that session. It made her feel as if she had made some progress over the years, because previously, Kakashi had gone through training sessions reading those Icha Icha books without care. Now, however, the book was safely tucked in his back pocket.

"I don't suppose you want to attack now?" he asked wearily.

She shook her head, smiling wryly.

"Good."

Mopping up his sweat with his sleeve, he pulled down the hitai-ate over his Sharingan, hiding it from view. He closed his eyes, flopping down on his back on the grass, releasing a long sigh as he did so.

"Why, Kakashi-sensei. Are you actually tired?" she teased good-naturedly.

His uncovered eye slid open. "Very funny, Sakura," he responded flatly.

She grinned. "I bet you didn't see this coming when you first took us on from the Academy, huh?"

His smirked. "Of course I did. I have to, if I want to retire."

"I can't see you retiring, Sensei."

"You begrudge your poor sensei a life beyond his job as a shinobi?"

"Being a shinobi is not a job, Kakashi-sensei," she returned with a chuckle. "And you know it."

"Hm. Guess you're right." His eye took on an assessing gleam. "Look at you. Your first engagement is to do with an assignment."

Something about the way Kakashi looked set alarms ringing. It was obvious that he was testing her for something, but what? Whatever it was, it was best to derail it. Keeping her tone light, she replied, "How lucky for me, huh? And to an Uchiha heir too. That must seriously increase my desirability factor."

"I doubt your desirability needs a boost." His tone was dry.

"Why Kakashi-sensei, are you flirting with me?" she asked sweetly.

Kakashi froze, looking aghast, like the thought had never even crossed his mind. It was quite funny, actually. Still, it gratified her that as perverted as her sensei was, he did not really view her in such a manner. It would be awfully awkward otherwise.

So she waved a dismissive hand around. "Kidding, Sensei!"

He sagged visibly in relief.

They rested for a while longer, both watching Naruto and Sasuke in the distance, whom, despite Kakashi's call for a halt, had continued their battle. As she watched, Sakura had to admit that there was a certain beauty to their movements. Naruto was all raw, unrestrained power, while Sasuke was the opposite, his attacks carefully planned and followed through with certain precision.

It must be an Uchiha thing, she mused as flashes of Itachi's moves in battles came to mind.

Thinking about Itachi made her think about her reaction few nights back when she had realized that she would not be sharing sleeping quarters with him. It was certainly embarrassing, since who knew what Mikoto-san had thought of her after that. Whilst this was not a real engagement, she found herself not wanting to be on the woman's bad side.

"How are you handling living in the Uchiha compound?"

Sakura turned at the sudden question, finding that Kakashi was now sitting up. "So far, so good. Why? No attempted attacks or anything like that. Besides, you'd know if we found something."

"That's not what I want to know."

"Then what?"

"Just recalling a certain Hyuuga, that's all."

She flinched, averting as eyes as she recalled how he had found her when she had been so upset after breaking things off with Neji. Sure she knew that it was for the best, but that did not mean that she had not been upset. Kakashi had been the one to listen to her pour out all her frustration and misery at that time, albeit with obvious discomfort.

"This is not the same, Sensei. It's not real, remember?" she pointed out softly.

"I see," he muttered.

His odd tone caught her attention, and she spun towards him. "What?"

"Nothing." Kakashi stood up abruptly, eyes not meeting hers. "Oh, they're finally done."

Naruto and Sasuke approached them, effectively cutting short the weird conversation. Sakura frowned at the back of Kakashi's head while he spoke to Naruto and Sasuke about his observations during their earlier training spar. What was Kakashi trying to get at? It almost sounded as if he was suspicious that she might be getting too involved in the assignment, the way he had brought up Neji.

But he had nothing to worry about on that end, did he? Sure she was attracted to Itachi, but she would not let it go any further.

She was so caught up with her contemplations that she only noticed that they had finished with the debriefing when Sasuke came to her, his hands slotted into his pockets as per usual. Kakashi and Naruto waved at them before they disappeared in the opposite direction.

"Ready to go?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura looked up towards the sky. It was so late that she might as well go 'home' with Sasuke now, especially since she had to go to the hospital later to help Shizune with some research. Hopefully, the hospital work would not take too long, because she had training again the next morning.

Nodding, she followed Sasuke out of the training grounds and through Konoha towards the Uchiha compound. The journey was made mostly in silence, but Sakura was used to it.

When they finally reached the compound, she found to her irritation that the number of stares had increased. News of her stay in the Uchiha compound must have spread even further, she surmised. Well, it _had_ been a few days.

"Ignore them," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"Not planning to confront them, you know," she responded just as softly.

Sasuke grunted.

However, much to her chagrin, their progress was halted shortly afterwards by a grey-haired elderly Uchiha.

Sakura held her head high as the elder gave her an assessing look, probably sizing her up to see if she would be an adequate brood mare. She almost cringed at the thought. They sorely needed to mind their own businesses, she thought in annoyance. Still, she had nothing to be afraid of when it came to nosy Uchiha elders.

"Welcome to the Uchiha compound," he said cordially, his tone far from warm. "I trust that you're finding it… comfortable?"

"It is more than comfortable, Uchiha-san. Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san, as well as Itachi and Sasuke-kun, made sure of that," she replied politely.

The elder's eyes slanted towards Sasuke. "It must take some getting used to, though, having another person in the house?"

"Must it?" Sasuke retorted while Sakura narrowed her eyes at the jab. Her teammate's disrespect was barely veiled.

The elder's expression darkened. "And when is the wedding, you say?"

"I didn't," Sakura replied flatly.

The elderly man nodded thoughtfully, his brows furrowing in what appeared to be a disapproving frown. "I see."

No, she doubted he saw anything at all, the old wrinkled prune, Sakura thought venomously. He was insinuating that the situation was improper, as if she cared. What rock was he living under? Did he not know that outside the clan, these so called 'improper' interactions were happening every day? Even Mikoto had not raised a fuss during that mistake when the Uchiha matriarch thought that she had wanted to share a room with Itachi.

Unearthing a saccharine sweet smile from somewhere within her, Sakura said, "Well, we'd better go." She slid a glance at the stony-faced Sasuke. "Shall we? It'd be rude to keep everyone waiting for us for dinner."

"Let's go," replied Sasuke.

Bowing slightly, Sakura turned to walk away. She could feel the elder's stare boring into her back as she and Sasuke travelled down the street, quickly turning the corner once they neared his home.

"This is annoying," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"Tell me about it," she grumbled. "I just hope that Daisuke makes his move soon."

"He will most likely attack during the engagement celebration. That's what the Hokage expects."

Sakura groaned. "I'm really not looking forward to it. Did you realize that the engagement ceremony is just a week before our ANBU exams?"

"Okaa-san was told that it was an auspicious date."

"But this is not real," she hissed.

"I know."

Sakura sighed. "But your mother doesn't know. So I guess we'll just have to play along."

Sasuke nodded, but said nothing else.

They continued to make their way to the house, which was now visible. Sakura could not help but wonder just how long she would have to stay here. The engagement celebration was in three weeks, and if their plan progressed smoothly, her life might go back to normal in about a month's time.

Wasn't that great?

She frowned thoughtfully. It meant no Itachi on a regular basis, except for when he approached her to fill the gap in his ANBU squad. Then again, she probably had to refuse, because if she made ANBU, she would be busy with missions with her own team. She was not too sure about the rules, but surely there was such a thing as conflict of interest if she kept going between two different ANBU teams.

So she most likely would not be going on missions with Itachi. Which meant that she probably would not be seeing him at all, except the occasional encounter in the streets. There was no valid reason for her to see him, after all.

It was for the best, really, she told herself a little sadly. That way, at least she would get over him faster.

"Sakura."

Sasuke's warm hand wrapped around her upper arm, stilling her movements just before she stepped into the house. Surprised at the contact, she gave her teammate a questioning look. Much to her bewilderment, Sasuke's expression was twitching in a way she did not recall ever seeing.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

His eyes flicked away from hers. "What you told me when we were twelve…"

Sakura froze, apprehensive of what Sasuke was getting at. Surely he did not suspect? "What about that?"

"You feel that way towards Itachi now?" he asked, frowning slightly.

She had to let out a laugh. It was unbelievable how relieved she felt because for a while, she thought that Sasuke KNEW of her feelings for Itachi. But if he was just prodding, then no harm was done. So she shook her head.

"No. Of course not."

And it was not a lie, either. It was just… attraction, an infatuation. She did not love Itachi.

Did she?

"Perhaps, when this is all over…" Sasuke trailed off, staring away from her at some indiscernible point in the distance.

Sakura inhaled sharply, suddenly realizing where Sasuke was taking this conversation. The immediate thought in her mind was to put a stop to it before it went too far. Before Sasuke uttered the words that could change their relationship forever. They were no longer twelve, and declaration of interest at this age could not be taken lightly. She had not thought of Sasuke in _that_ way for a long time. After so many years, was it even possible that she still felt something for him? She simply did not know.

Sasuke went on resolutely, "Perhaps we could-"

"Sasuke?" she interjected urgently, forcing herself not to panic. She was not prepared to have this conversation with Sasuke, if it was what she thought it was.

Sasuke turned towards her, looking so uncertain that it almost broke her heart. Whatever happened, Sasuke held a special place in her heart and she did not like to hurt him. She needed time to think, to mull over the possibilities before she exposed herself to this conversation.

"There are just too many things happening now. Whatever it is, can it wait until this whole thing is over? Can we discuss it then?"

Confusion flashed across his face, and then, much to her consternation, his cheeks reddened slightly as his lips tightened. She wanted to groan out loud when she realized that she might have offended him despite her intention not to hurt him.

So she reached out to grab his hands. "Sasuke? Is that okay?" she asked softly.

"Hm."

Then, much to her relief, the corner of his lips lifted slightly before he took his hands from her. "Let's go in."

She nodded.

As she watched Sasuke disappear into the house, Sakura felt her heart sinking at the thought of what she had to think through later. If Sasuke felt something for her, then what about her feelings for him?

Then what about her feelings for Itachi?

000

* * *

000

Itachi remained hidden out of view until Sasuke and Sakura had disappeared into the house.

Only then did he allow himself to step out of the shadowed alcove at the side of the building beside his house. He was a little appalled when he realized that he was now reduced to spying on his brother and Sakura, albeit not setting out to do so in the first place. He had been on his way home when he had noticed Sakura's expression at something Sasuke had said to her. She might believe that she had hidden it well, but he could tell that she was troubled by Sasuke's words. And then there was the tender manner Sakura had taken Sasuke's hands in hers which had caused an unfamiliar pressure in his chest.

It was certainly unpleasant, so why had he remained to observe them? Was it because he was growing unreasonably possessive of her, even though they relationship was not real? His attraction to her was one-sided, after all.

The line of thoughts which had slipped into his mind a few night ago came back to him, making his frown. Did he truly wish to pursue that route? Did he truly wish to make his intention known to Sakura and make this farce of a relationship real?

Yes, he did.

However, there was one important aspect he had to ascertain before he broached the topic to Sakura. He needed to know if there was any attraction at her end, even a little. That way, he could built upon it. If Sakura felt nothing for him as a man whatsoever, then this endeavor would be pointless. He did not wish to force anyone into a relationship they did not want.

As far as he knew, Sakura held no romantic interest for other men, or he would have heard about it by now. The Hyuuga would have posed a threat, if not for the fact that what they had in terms of intimate relationship was over.

Then there was Team Kakashi. Sakura was unarguably close to her teammates, and he understood that. Whilst her teammates obviously cared for her, Naruto now had an interest in the Hyuuga girl and Sasuke…

Itachi frowned at the less-than-comfortable thought of something going on between Sasuke and Sakura. No, Sasuke and Sakura were teammates and they were close. That was all.

Itachi did not want to think what else it could be.

000

* * *

000

Her work at the hospital ended a few hours before midnight. Shizune had insisted that she left, even though the research was nowhere near finished. Still, Sakura was quite satisfied that she had managed to give the team some useful input in the last few hours.

Weary and a little distracted by everything, she decided to take a break at a nearby park before heading back to the Uchiha compound. She needed a break before going back to pretending that she was in love with Itachi while keeping her very real infatuation with him under control. She needed a break before facing Fugaku and his not so subtle push for her to quit her job.

And now, to make things more stressful, she'd have to wonder what it was that had prompted Sasuke to broach THAT topic with her. As tired as she was, she knew that she was in no state to put her mind to work on that problem. But at the same time, she really could not afford to shelf the issue.

With a sigh, she rubbed her forehead.

Still, she doubted that any amount of thinking would solve any of those problems tonight.

Dropping down onto a bench at the edge of the deserted park, she stretched flat out to stare into the starry sky. She could not understand Shikamaru's obsession with cloud-watching, but she decided that the stars twinkling in the sky were much prettier.

Before long, she was fully relaxed and feeling very languid. In fact, she had almost dozed off when a presence made itself know.

Almost immediately, she jerked up into a sitting position, to find herself staring straight at a certain Uchiha. He was standing by the bench, gazing down at her.

"Sakura."

"Itachi?" She blinked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You should be here alone."

She bristled. "You think I'm a hopeless civilian, Itachi?"

"You are aware that you are a target now," he pointed out in his infuriatingly calm voice.

Sakura huffed, realizing the truth of his words. "Still, I'm hardly in danger in this park."

"There are powerful missing-nins out there for hire, and Daisuke would not hesitate to do so. Breaking into Konoha to kidnap a lone kunoichi would not be difficult for them."

"I know," she admitted with a sigh. "I just need some time alone, alright? I'm used to… not having people around all the time." She darted an apologetic glance up at him. "No offence."

"Hm."

And then he sat down on the bench beside her, surprising her with the move. He planned on joining her here? His body was so close that she swore she could feel his body heat through their layers of clothes. There was no one around to watch their charade, so what was he doing? She opened her mouth to ask, only to have her words stuck in her throat when her eyes landed on his profile. Her breath caught at the sight of the moonlight glancing off his features, making him look beautifully ethereal.

Face flushing, she quickly turned away before he could catch her staring at him. Acutely aware of his presence but trying to ignore it, she continued to gaze at the outline of trees in the distance. She would eventually relax, right?

"Do you come here often?"

The unexpected question drew her attention back to him, to find him watching her intently. "Not so often now. I used to, when I worked regularly at the hospital." A pause followed while she considered her next words. "And you?"

"Rarely."

"Oh."

And she looked away again.

She could feel this odd tension she between them now. It was not anything new, but today, it seemed more intense. Undeniably stronger. Until her skin felt almost raw with the sensation. Inhaling deeply, she wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her skin, trying to still the urge to reach across to touch him. She almost groaned out loud at the desire to do so. This attraction would kill her one day.

Then she felt him shift.

She swiveled towards him and then froze instantly when she realized just how close his face was. It made her think of things she should not think of, like how his lips would taste right then. Sure they had kissed before, but those kisses were relatively chaste. Nothing like how a couple would kiss in the privacy of their bedroom. The mere thought of what it could be like to have him in the privacy of her bedroom sent a shudder through her.

Stop it! Get a grip, Sakura, she scolded herself.

Mortified by the direction of her thoughts, she inhaled slowly to calm herself while chancing a look at him.

His eyes were hooded, the onyx orbs gazing at her mouth as if he was mesmerized, causing Sakura's breath to catch at the sight. She barely registered what was going on when she swayed towards him. He was close enough that she could make out the grey irises in his dark eyes.

She froze when she felt his hand cupping the back of her neck gently, but firmly.

"I-Itachi?" she breathed out shakily.

And then their lips met, blanking out any other thoughts from her mind.

His lips were silky and firm at the same time, and his warm breath ghosted against her skin in a soft caress. She felt herself shiver, her breath hitching slightly as her lips parted in reaction. Then, heat jolted through her when the tip of his tongue traced her bottom lip. Vaguely, it hit her that their lips were in a much more intimate contact than they had even been.

And then he slipped in, delving deeper, drawing a soft gasp from her. She tasted him for the first time, and she felt strangely dizzy. Her mind refused to focus on anything apart from Itachi and the growing intensity of their kiss.

A harsh sound escaped Itachi, and the next thing she knew, she was on his lap. Heady with the sensation of the kiss, she did not protest as he deepened their kiss, his fingers twisting in her hair behind her head.

Sakura heard herself moan as waves of desire crashed through her. Of their own volition, her palms ran up his chest and around, clutching him close as she opened up to him, allowing him to taste her fully. She felt his hands release her hair to slide down low, pressing her hips down against him, allowing her to feel the evidence of his desire.

In a random moment of clarity, it struck Sakura that they were making out. Not just kissing. Furthermore, they were doing this without an audience. Somehow, that made it different. Somehow that made it… dangerous.

What was she doing? Suddenly alarmed, Sakura drew back cautiously, breaking their contact. Her breath was shallow and she had to clench her hands in her lap to stop them from trembling.

The silence between them was heavy.

A stab of something uncomfortable spiked through her and she kept her eyes lowered, unable to meet his gaze. She was uncertain of how Itachi would react. Would he tell her off? The kiss was wholly unnecessary, after all.

She closed her eyes briefly, and then opened them slowly. This was ridiculous. She could not be looking down at the ground indefinitely. She had to face Itachi at some point. She just had to face this. Whatever _this_ is.

When she finally worked up the nerve to glance at him, what she saw took her breath away.

Onyx eyes stared at her with a gleam of something. Never before had he regarded her with such intensity, and she was not so naïve that she did not recognize it.

He wanted her.

The moment the bewildering thought crossed her mind, Sakura swallowed hard. Maybe she should not have kissed him like that. In fact, why the hell had she kissed him like that? That Deidara must have knocked something loose in her head back when he had kidnapped her.

As Itachi continued to stare at her, she had to suppress the urge to fidget. She realized that she should probably say something to break the silence, knowing fully well that he would not. The Itachi she knew would just stare at her inquisitively until she broke down.

"Uh…" she faltered, feeling very awkward. "Well… that was… unexpected."

He regarded her with those searching eyes, as if trying to read her. Then he spoke in a quiet voice. "What was?"

"Huh?" What was what?

"What was unexpected?" he queried calmly.

She felt a stirring of annoyance. How the hell could he be so calm after that kiss? His attitude was not making things any easier for her.

"The kiss!" she hissed, jumping to her feet to put some distance between them. She could barely think with him so close. "There was no one around to see, so I shouldn't have-" she broke off abruptly when she realized something.

Itachi had initiated the kiss as much as she had done. In fact, he had brought it to the next level. He was the one who had snuck his tongue into her mouth. And there he was, standing in front of her like nothing was wrong. It did not seem fair at all, especially since she felt so rattled just remembering what it had felt like. Even now, she could feel her skin heating up at the recollection.

"Shouldn't have…?" Itachi prompted as he stood up, breaking into her inner rant.

She wanted to kick him. He was still acting like nothing was wrong, she thought as she took in a deep breath to calm herself. Why did he seem so…

Wait!

Her eyes widened suddenly as a thought occurred to her. As preposterous as it was, it was the only thing that made sense at the moment.

"You wanted to kiss me?" she blurted out incredulously before she could stop herself.

His eyes flickered, just as she gave herself a mental smack for her words. What would he think now? She sounded as if she was accusing him of actually wanting to kiss her. Like this whole relationship thing was real. Like he felt something for her. She really had to think before she open her mouth sometimes.

"Forget wh-"

"Yes."

His single word answer hit her with the force of a punch to the midsection. For a long while, she only could stare at him, open-mouthed and stunned into complete silence. She understood what he had said, she just could not quite process it in her mind.

This was Itachi. ITACHI! Who had never shown any serious interest in women, if rumors were to be trusted. And if rumors were not to be trusted, then Sasuke's words should be enough. The man lived and breathed shinobi. He had even gone so far as to hire her to thwart his clan's plans to get him a bride. This Itachi would not be interested in kissing her, would he? What the hell?

When she finally got a grip on herself, she realized that there was only one possible response she could give to this.

She forced out a laugh. "Don't joke like this, Itachi. It is not funny."

"I am not joking."

He was not joking, her mind repeated numbly. She bit her bottom lip, averting her eyes from him. What on earth was he playing at?

Suddenly, everything seemed to overwhelm her, making it too much for her to handle. Living in the Uchiha compound, Sasuke's 'almost' declaration, Fugaku's disapproval, the stress of hiding how she felt and now, Itachi's latest move. She did not know where she stood and what she should think anymore.

"I need to go," she choked out.

Without another word, she spun around and walked away into the darkness of the night.

000

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000

She walked away.

Itachi watched, perplexed, as Sakura's slender figure disappeared quickly out of sight. That was not what he had expected.

Still, he had obtained the answer to his question.

Sakura desired him. Physically, at least. It was a start. It gave him a foundation to build upon. His objective was not physical satisfaction but something of a more permanent nature, so it would take some time to lead Sakura in that direction.

However, the way she ran away made him uncertain if she had read his intentions correctly. His experience in pursuing women was ruefully minimal, thus making it difficult for him to be confident. It would not do at the juncture for her to doubt his sincerity. That would not be beneficial to his objective.

He should perhaps reiterate his point, Itachi thought, beginning to walk in the direction Sakura had disappeared to.

"Itachi."

Itachi stilled at the familiar voice, a little anxious at the fact that he had been so distracted in thinking about Sakura that he had not noticed that he was no longer alone. A small voice at the back of his mind pointed out that this was one of the risks of emotional involvement. Deciding to study this phenomenon later, he shelved it to the back of his mind.

Slowly, he turned around until he was looking into a pair of dark eyes. It had been almost two weeks since the other shinobi had been taken into interrogation, and the shadows under his eyes and the slight gauntness of his body were the evidence of that.

"Shisui," he greeted.

A small, humorless smile lifted the corner of Shisui's lips. "They told me what happened." A heavy breath left him. "I was stupid, huh?"

Itachi did not comment.

Unperturbed by his non-responsiveness, Shisui continued, "I let my guard down so much that I didn't even realize how deep her jutsu had set." He closed his eyes, allowing his chin to drop. "And I thought I was in love with her. Even though she was obviously a missing-nin, I thought if I tried hard enough, it would work. I let the whole damned thing cloud my mind so much that I wasn't thinking straight."

"Shisui-"

"No, I just need to explain myself," Shisui interjected harshly, his eyes snapping open. "I need you to know that I didn't mean to put you or Sakura in any kind of danger. I need you to know that I will make damned sure the same thing doesn't happen again."

"I know," Itachi murmured.

Shisui's shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry."

Itachi nodded. "You have been released," he remarked, knowing that he was stating the obvious but needing to hear more from Shisui. "When?"

"This morning. I was beginning to think they weren't going to let me go," the other shinobi admitted wryly. "After all, I did feed all sorts of information to a rogue-nin. I don't even know what I told Karin."

"Karin?"

Shisui's expression hardened. "My so-called girlfriend."

"Aa."

"I met her a while back. I don't know, a year ago?" His brows furrowed. "Thought she was a civilian at first. She wasn't wearing a hitai-ate and I don't sense any remarkable amount of chakra from her. By the time I found out that she was a kunoichi, it was too late to break it off."

"Too late?"

A self-deprecating smile twisted Shisui's lips. "She had me wrapped around her little finger by then. Besides, the potion she used on me had taken effect fully."

"What type of potion?"

"They told me Karin fed me something that allowed her to use her chakra to control my mind. Shizune and the medics managed to clear the stuff out of me." His eyes blazing in fury, hands clenching into fists, he snarled, "If I ever get my hands on her-"

"No," Itachi cut in smoothly. "That has been arranged. Allow ANBU to handle it."

Deflating visibly, Shisui swallowed, and then looked away. "I hope she gets what she deserves."

Itachi heard his words, but he could not help but notice that there was a hint of reluctance in the other shinobi's voice. Shisui's words and his true desire clearly clashed. Was this what love did to someone? Was it enough to blind someone so far such that he would forgive anything? If he was in the same position as Shisui, would he be able to allow Sakura to be taken in by ANBU and interrogated, possibly tortured?

He might allow it, but he might not be capable of living with the decision afterwards.

Did that mean that he was in love with Sakura?

000

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000

Sakura's mind was whirring in all different directions as she all but ran from the park. She knew that her reaction might be a little extreme, but what had just happened back there confused the hell out of her and she did not know how to react.

Itachi had kissed her.

Itachi had said he wanted to kiss her.

The obvious conclusion to that was that he was attracted to her the way she was attracted to him. But was that even possible? How had she, Haruno Sakura, managed to snare the attention of one of the most eligible bachelors in Konoha? She had a similar thought when Neji had first asked her out, but Uchiha Itachi was another matter. Uchiha Itachi was in a league of his own.

Her heart thudding wildly, she continued to run, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. She was not heading back to the Uchiha compound, but back to her own apartment. In the state she was in, she doubted she could pull off a convincing act as Itachi's fiancé. She had better get a grip on herself first before she returned there.

Just before she passed the prisoner holding area on her way back, her steps slowed as her attention was drawn to the four shinobi leaving the stronghold. Her movements halted completely when she recognized one of them.

Jaw dropping, all thoughts of her personal dilemma pushed back in the face of what she was seeing, Sakura jumped down from the rooftop to land in front of the procession.

"YOU!" she snarled, pointing an accusing finger at the smirking blonde.

Not appearing any worse for wear after his incarceration, Deidara shot back, "Yes, me. What about it, yeah?"

She glared at the three masked ANBU surrounding the blonde. "I can't believe it! He's being released?"

"Afraid so, Haruno," one of them responded, the mask muffling his voice and identity.

Sakura suppressed the urge to scream. Instead, she glared at Deidara. "How the hell did you secure your release?" And why didn't Tsunade tell her about it?

Deidara shrugged. "Konoha ran out of holding cells?"

Sakura seethed.

Giving her an impatient look, Deidara snapped, "Look, I don't have anything personal against Konoha, yeah, and I told your interrogation team everything I know. So that's it. Why the hell would Konoha waste space keeping me around, hm?"

She grudgingly admitted that he made sense.

"I guess Konoha could have returned me to Iwa, though. Quite a bounty on my head, the last I checked, yeah," he muttered thoughtfully, looking a little confused.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "We're not exactly best friends with Iwa, are we?"

"Ah, so that's why!" Deidara grinned. "Looks like you got brains as well, yeah."

Sakura glared at him. "Just make sure you don't cross my path anytime soon." She cracked her knuckles. "I've yet to pay you back for that kidnapping stunt."

"Just a job, yeah."

"You almost blew me up into bits, you bastard!" she cried out incredulously.

"Now, now, don't take it personally," Deidara chuckled.

Sakura took a step forward, but the ANBU held a hand up. "We got to lead him out of the gates in one piece, Haruno. Hokage's orders."

She huffed and then pointed a finger at the blonde. "Till next time, Blondie."

Deidara shook his head, grinning maniacally. "I've save up some of my specials for you, Little Flower. We'll have a blast."

As they walked away, Sakura felt her lips twitch. Deidara was pretty funny when he was not trying to blow her up. And then her smile dissipated when she recalled what brought her there in the first place.

With a sigh, she leapt back up onto the rooftops. The encounter with Deidara had taken her mind off Itachi for a while, but now it was back. Frowning slightly as she pondered what she should make of the entire event, Sakura continued travelling across the rooftops until she arrived back at her apartment.

Once there, she made straight for her bedroom and flopped face down onto her bed.

So, what now?

Was he really attracted to her? What if he was? She was already quite infatuated with him, so she should be happy if he was, right? But she had not even handled that Sasuke issue yet, so how would that affect things?

The sound of her window creaking open broke her line of thought, and Sakura almost out loud at the familiar presence. He had not bothered to shield his chakra, therefore announcing his arrival.

"Sakura."

"Not a good time, Itachi," she muttered into her pillow.

A moment of silence passed before he spoke. "Will you return to the Uchiha compound tonight?"

So that was why he was there. Of course. Why else would he be there? She did not truly expect him to come with the intent of having a long, bare-the-heart type of conversation with her, did she? That was too much to ask for. Still, she did not expect him to be so blasé about the entire thing.

Wait! She could not have just imagined the whole thing at the park, could she? But right now, Itachi showed no signs that he recalled it happening. The strangeness of the whole thing made her want to bash her fists against something.

So why would he skirt the issue now? Surely he could see that she was troubled by it. Was it because he had decided that it was a mistake? Or did he expect her to bring it up?

"Is that all you're here for?" she asked tightly.

Another pause before he replied in his typical smooth tones, "Did you expect otherwise?"

YES! And so she sighed and muttered dully instead, "Of course not, Itachi."

"Hm."

Her voice was still muffled by the pillow, but it seemed like Itachi did not have a problem deciphering her words. "I'll be back later, alright. I just need an hour or so."

Silence followed, and for a moment, she thought that he would press the issue. The thought of it raised her hackles. Who did he think he was? Doing confusing stuff to her, like kissing her, and then turn up so soon afterwards when she was trying to find some time to herself?

"Sakura?"

"Go away." She knew she was being childish, but she could not bring herself to care at the moment.

"Hm."

Then Sakura suddenly felt herself being pulled away from the relative safety of her bed, straight onto her feet. Stumbling at the shock of being manhandled, she was about to lash out when Itachi hauled her against him.

Before she could even blink, he dipped his head and kissed her on the lips, drawing a gasp of surprise from her. She was so stunned that she was not able to respond, and before she knew it, it was over. Only then did she dare to meet his gaze.

His eyes gleaming with amusement and what appeared to be affection, he murmured against her lips, "I'll see you later, Sakura."

And then he was gone out of the window.

Sakura sat down heavily onto the edge of her bed, lifting her fingers to touch her still-tingling lips. He kissed her.

He kissed her _again_. Without an audience.

She blinked.

Slowly, she removed her fingers, letting her hand fall limply to her side. Thoughts whirred in her mind, one after another, but only one particular thought dominated. Her denial of the situation had blinded her thus far, but today's events could not be interpreted any other way.

Itachi was trying to show her that he was attracted to her.

000

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000

Itachi slipped his hands into his pockets as he took the long route back to the Uchiha compound. It took him around the deserted training grounds, which were pleasantly still at this time of the night. He needed time to consider what he had just done, even though going to Sakura's apartment had not been an impulse.

Sakura should not have any doubts regarding his intentions now, for he had made them clear enough. Although hesitant, she obviously had no objection to his kisses, a fact that gave him hope that things could work out between them.

Still, even with that knowledge, he was not certain of his next step. Should he allow her time to come to terms with it, or-

"Itachi! Wait!"

He froze at the sound of his name. Slowly, he turned around to find Sakura running towards him, her shoulder-length pink hair bobbing wildly behind her as she streaked across Training Ground Eight. He had not expected her to pursue him, and thus, was mildly anxious as to her intentions while he waited for her to catch up.

When she reached him, she skidded to a halt.

"Itachi," she called out a little breathlessly.

He blinked at her. She seemed to have pulled herself out of her previous state of befuddlement. Noting the sheen of determination in her eyes, he knew that she had something important to tell him, and was steeling herself to do so. It most certainly pertained to his actions in her apartment earlier.

"Sakura."

She took a deep breath, an open display of fortification. Itachi felt himself tense in readiness for whatever it was she planned on unleashing upon him.

And then she reached up to link her hands behind his neck.

The next thing he knew, her lips were fused onto his.

Itachi felt something swell within his chest as she kissed him heatedly. Feeling slightly lightheaded, he wrapped his arms around her, securing her to him. He could feel every curve of her body and her heady scents surrounded his senses, making him long for more. He wanted to indulge himself.

And so he did.

His hands swept up and down her back before settling on her rounded behind. Reacting instantly, her lips parted in a gasp and he slid his tongue into her mouth. He felt a tremor of desire run through him and he pulled back, hissing as he did so.

As he did, he caught sight of her passion-glazed eyes and her kiss-swollen lips. Breath catching in his chest, he dipped down again, this time planting his lips on the pulse-point at the side of her neck. A small cry escaped her as he suckled gently, his hands moving back up to hold the back of her head. She tipped back, baring her throat, almost tearing a groan out of him.

The headiness clouded his mind, but he found himself unable to care. He felt lost in her, in her scent, in her soft moans and the way she ran her fingers through his hair, clenching almost painfully. Briefly, it occurred to him that this could quickly spiral out of control if neither of them pulled back, and yet, he was unable to do so.

Sakura was the one who did so eventually, leaving him bereft of her touch. Cheeks flushed and lips swollen, she stared at him almost shyly, a ridiculous reaction considering what they had been engaged in a moment ago.

While he had more than welcomed her advances, he could not help but wonder what had brought this on. So he studied her questioningly. At his perusal, she reddened further.

"Just felt like returning the kiss, that's all," she finally declared, in a slightly husky voice.

A pause followed before he managed to respond. "Aa."

"Hope you don't mind."

"I don't." He lifted a hand to brush her bottom lip with his thumb. The urge to kiss her surfaced again, but he suppressed it, dropping his hand to his side. "It is… welcomed."

"Welcomed, huh?" she murmured quietly.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Now that it was clear that she reciprocated his feelings, at least on the physical side of things, Itachi was not certain how he should progress. Those around him might call him a genius, but he was more than aware that his ingenuity did not extend to interpersonal relations.

"So…" Sakura mumbled, her eyes flicking everywhere but at him.

Without thinking, he caught her chin in his fingers gently, stilling her agitation. "Are you embarrassed?"

Eyes wide, she cried out, "No!" Emerald orbs lowered as she frowned thoughtfully. "Well, maybe a little. It's all a little weird."

"Do not over-analyze it."

The moment those words escaped his lips, Itachi realized that he should apply them to himself as well. This was not a mission, and strategies might not work the same way. It was best to take things as it came and react accordingly. This lack of planning might unsettle him, but something told him that it was for the best in this scenario.

"It's late."

"Mikoto-sama must be wondering where we've gone. None of us mentioned being away or late."

Recalling her blunder the first night she stayed at the Uchiha compound, Itachi's lips quirked in amusement. "She would assume that we have personal matters to attend to."

"I can't even begin to imagine what she might be thinking," Sakura muttered, discomfited. "Come on, let's go."

"Hm."

Desiring some contact with her, Itachi reached out, threading his fingers through hers. He did not miss her sharp intake of breath, or the bout of redness that highlighted her cheeks. However, she did not pull away. Instead, she curled her fingers around his.

A small smile curved Itachi's lips as they walked back to the Uchiha compound together.

He felt… content.

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A/N: Ah, fluff… Hope you've enjoyed that. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!

:elle6778:


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you for your reviews for the previous chapter. Glad you enjoyed the fluff! Here's the next one, for your reading pleasure...

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 15**

There was something strangely uplifting about knowing that someone you liked, liked you back.

Sakura allowed a small smile to cross her lips as she walked through the morning market with Itachi. Her right hand was held loosely in his left, an act that was growing more and more natural by the day. Although they had held hands before, it was purely an act carried out while there was an audience. An act which had ceased the moment they were alone. However, these days, their hands remained linked even when there was clearly no one there to observe them.

By now, people no longer looked twice at their physical contact. After all, the rest of Konoha had seen them together for months now, so it was no longer a surprise. Only she and Itachi knew that things had changed between them.

Neither of them said anything about it, but she supposed they did not need to. Actions spoke louder than words, right? And Itachi's action showed her that he was interested in her. She did not need to hear it verbalized, did she?

She shook her head mentally. No, this was Itachi and she should not expect romantic proclamations from him. He did not strike her as the type of man who would do something like that.

Spotting the fish vendor, Sakura turned her face up to him. "Your mother wanted saury. Let's get it from there."

Itachi nodded, taking the lead by pulling her along slightly behind him, squeezing past the other shoppers. The throng parted, some obviously surprised at the sight of Itachi in the market.

Once they reached the stall, she began to inspect the goods on sale, noting dimly that Itachi was watching her intently. She glanced over her shoulders and her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. He looked almost as if he wanted to grab her there and then to kiss her. What on earth brought it on?

Licking her lips, she forced out, "Help me choose?"

He shook his head once, and that look in his eyes dissipated. "I'm not familiar with fishes."

Her lips quirked. "Okay."

Turning back to the rows of fishes lined up on a bed of ice, she made the selection the best she could and asked the vendor to pack them. Hopefully, Mikoto-san would find them acceptable. Itachi paid, and then gestured for Sakura to accept the package of saury from the fishmonger.

"Any chance of that being packed lunch tomorrow?"

Sakura swiveled around to face the owner of the familiar voice. "Kakashi-sensei! Stop sneaking up on people!" she chastised lightly.

The Copy-Nin shrugged, the corner of his eye crinkling. "I thought you'd have noticed your own sensei, Sakura."

She rolled her eyes. "You're suppressing you chakra, aren't you? And there are people all around us. Not to mention I wasn't expecting an ambush."

"Always be prepared, I say."

Sakura groaned, peeking at an amused Itachi. "You knew he was behind us?"

"Aa."

She slapped a palm to her forehead, lamenting her lack of vigilance. "Should I say goodbye to ANBU, then?" she groaned dejectedly.

Chuckling, Kakashi said, "Don't be too hasty. You should try, at least." Turning to Itachi, he nodded in greeting. "Uchiha-san."

"Hatake-san."

"Hokage-sama wishes to see you at four today."

Itachi nodded once.

"Is this about our…" She scanned around them quickly, and then lowered her voice, "Our assignment?"

"I believe so. But Hokage just need to ask him something about clan traditions. You don't need to be there," Kakashi told her.

She made a face at Kakashi before she directed her attention to her 'fiancé'. "Maybe if I ask nicely, Itachi would tell me."

The Uchiha slanted a level look at her. "Only if it is not confidential."

She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. And then something prickled at the back of her neck, making her shift her attention towards her sensei.

Kakashi's gaze was darting back and forth between them, and Sakura felt acutely as if she was being inspected under some interrogation jutsu. There was this knowing gleam in her sensei's eye, and she could guess what it was all about.

Did it matter if Kakashi suspected that something real was going on between her and Itachi?

No, she guessed not.

She did not know where this thing with Itachi was going, but it had only been one week since she had been made aware of his attraction to her, so perhaps she should not think too far ahead yet. It was hardly reasonable to expect some deep, meaningful revelation at this point of their fledgling relationship. Perhaps in a few months…

She blushed when she realized that she was already thinking of Itachi in the long term. Damn, this infatuation with him must be more serious than she had originally thought.

"Sakura?"

Itachi's quiet voice cut into her thoughts, making her look up at him. He was watching her intently, like he usually did, now that she thought about it. There was no single word she could use to describe it. She might say it was a combination of fondness and hunger.

Talk about hunger…

Her cheeks heated at the thought of their most recent kiss.

They were in the kitchen and she had been toweling the dishes dry. Fugaku had retired to his room, while Mikoto had gone out into the courtyard to speak to a relative and Sasuke had disappeared somewhere, leaving them alone. Itachi had come up to her, pressing his front against her back. The next thing she had felt was his lips grazing the side of her neck. He had spun her around soon afterwards to kiss her lips.

She shivered slightly at the recollection.

"You alright, Sakura?"

She almost jumped at Kakashi's voice. Hoping that her face did not give away the direction of her earlier thoughts, she forced out a grin. "Of course. I'm fine."

"You look a little flushed."

She darted a quick look at Itachi to find the corner of his lips tilted in amusement. Her eyes narrowed indignantly. What did he find so amusing? This distraction of hers was all his fault. Directing her attention back to Kakashi, she pretended to fan herself. "A little hot today."

Kakashi blinked once. "I see." And his eyes slid towards Itachi calculatingly before returning to her. Thankfully, he changed the subject. "The exams coming up soon. I'd like to have a couple of long training sessions with you, Sasuke and Naruto."

Her embarrassment evaporated. Instead, Sakura felt a stab of anxiety when she realized just how close it was. "Three more weeks. Seems like no time at all. When do you want to train?"

"Start tomorrow."

She nodded. "I'll be there. How long do you think it'd take?"

The corner of Kakashi's eye creased. "Depends on how long you three take to finish the task. It'll be in the Forbidden Forest."

A groan left her when she realized that it could be days, but she nodded nevertheless. It was something they had all decided to do, and she knew that the training would be helpful. "So, the usual time and place tomorrow morning?"

"No. Usual time, but we'll meet at the south entrance of the forest. Must leave now. Someone needs to find Naruto and Sasuke." He raised a brow at her. "Don't suppose-"

"No, Kakashi-sensei," she cut in flatly. "You're just being lazy. Again."

The corner of his eye creased. "Can't blame an old, weary man for trying, right?"

She rolled her eyes. Old and weary indeed. "Sasuke said something about going to the lake to train," Sakura told him, and then she turned to Itachi. "That's what he said last night, right?"

"Aa."

"I'll start there then." Kakashi inclined his head at Itachi. "Uchiha-san." And then he waved at her. "I'll see you tomorrow, then, Sakura."

With that, Kakashi walked away into the crowd.

Someone passed close to them, bumping the package of fish. Reaching out, Itachi took the package from her. It struck her then, just how 'domestic' the two of them looked, buying groceries in the market like this. Funnily enough, it did not feel weird at all. In fact, it felt so natural that it was almost scary. When had their relationship slipped into this mode? The last thing she recalled consciously was admitting to herself that both of them were attracted to each other, and had begun to interact more and more outside the scope of their assignment.

"Sakura?"

Itachi's voice broke into her thoughts and she turned to smile at him. "Just thinking some random thoughts, that all."

"Hm."

"Does your mother need anything else?" she asked, sliding an arm into the crook of Itachi's elbow.

"No."

His arm tightened to his side almost imperceptibly, as if he was trying to draw her closer. Sakura smiled inwardly, knowing that it was little things like this that made her attraction for the Uchiha grow stronger. He might not be the most verbally expressive man she knew, but these little things he did meant a lot to her.

"So… Let's get these fishes back to your mother before they spoil," she said.

"Yes, that would be wise."

And with that, they made their way back to the Uchiha compound.

000

* * *

000

It had been one week since Sakura had pursued him to return his kiss. Since then, much to his own bewilderment, he had uncharacteristically sought her out whenever his presence was not needed anywhere else.

It was almost as if he was addicted to her company. He found it almost impossible to keep himself away. The lightened sensation in his chest was unmistakable when they spent time together. This heady feeling was something he had never experienced before, and Itachi knew that he was growing increasingly used to it as the days went by.

Such was his preoccupation with her that he was compelled to seek her out right now even though it was already late at night. The notion of her leaving for her extended training session tomorrow, and not knowing when they would see each other again did not appeal to him. He knew that it would not take more than a few days, but something urged him to seek her out regardless.

When he reached the guest wing, Itachi made his way to her room. However, before he raised his hand to knock on the door, he became aware that the room was unoccupied. His brows furrowed as he deliberated where she could be at this time.

He searched the guest wing to no avail. It was only when he circled around the main house that he saw the silhouette of her slender form seated on the wooden platform outside the building. The night was a little chilly, and she had wrapped a large blanket around her shoulders as her feet dangled over the edge of the platform. Without delay, he made his way towards her.

When he drew closer, he noticed that she was surrounded by all manners of weapons. He stood there, watching her quietly as she sharpened her weapons. His lips quirked when he realized that she was humming happily as she ran the flat of the grinding stone along the edge of the blades. It struck him that it was hardly the appropriate thing to do while working on deadly weapons.

Her movements suddenly stilled, and then she glanced over her shoulder. When she caught sight of him, Sakura's lips tilted in a soft smile which caused his breath to catch. She was affecting him to a degree that bordered on unacceptable, but Itachi found himself not minding.

"Itachi," she greeted. "What are you doing out so late?"

He took a few steps forward, and then lowered himself to one knee beside her. "I will sleep soon."

She shifted to the side and gestured to the space beside her. "Want to sit?"

Accepting her offer, he sat down cross-legged on the wooden platform and stared straight out into the landscaped courtyard. For a long while, they simply sat in companionable silence. The only sound that broke the silence was the rhythmic scrape of metal against stone. Itachi felt at ease, almost tranquil, and he knew that it was due to the company of the woman beside him.

He slid a glance at her, noting that she was wearing a small smile as she continued to sharpen her weapons. He wished to keep her for himself. This was how he could imagine spending his time at home in the future, sitting beside her while they undertake everyday tasks.

She looked at him then, surprise flashing across her face when she noticed him watching her.

"Itachi?" she ventured questioningly.

It was as if he could not help himself, he was so drawn to her. He did not resist the urge to shift closer to her, his head lowering. Sakura's breath caught as his lips brushed against hers, and he felt a shiver run through her when he slid his hand to the back of her neck to hold her still.

She responded to him as she had always done for the past week, enthusiastically and without restraint. It sent a heady rush of desire through him, urging him to deepen their kiss. She moaned into his mouth, her parted lips allowing him entry to delve into her more intimately.

Not breaking their kiss, he pulled her onto his lap and continued his ministrations downwards. He could feel the rapid beat of her pulse and the vibration of her moans against his lips as he dragged his mouth down the side of her throat. She was breathing out his name now, and the sound of it in her husky, needy voice made him groan out loud.

His mind clouded further as they continued the intimacy. Her hands were clutching him tight now, her fingers digging into his back, but it only served to arouse him further, especially in combination with what her hips were doing to him. He wanted more, and he did not wait to wait.

But he knew that he had to.

Breathing hard, Itachi just managed to pull away, breaking all physical contact before his desire could overwhelm his common sense. His eyes searched her flushed face, noting her passion glazed eyes and her swollen lips. It made him yearn to further what they had begun, but he knew that it would be unwise. There were too many issues surrounding them now, and he had to wait until this mission was over before he indulged in anything that he could not reverse if it should go wrong.

He inhaled deeply in the attempt to calm himself, watching as she did the same.

It took a while, both of them sitting in contemplative silence as they fought to regain some semblance of calm. These 'moments' of their private encounters seemed to be growing increasing lengthy, telling Itachi that one day, they would not be able to stop themselves.

Sakura finally exhaled loudly. "So…" she began slowly, and then stopped. It was clear that she wished to say something about their relationship, even though Itachi suspected that she did not know what exactly she wished to say.

When the silence dragged on, he murmured, "Are you prepared for tomorrow?"

She looked visibly relieved at the change of topic. Giving him a small grin, she said, "As prepared as I can be. Knowing Kakashi, the task must be something quite painful."

"It should be an effective session," he pointed out.

Hatake Kakashi did not do things in halves when it came to training his students. And that was a fact known to all. His current team was the only team that had managed to survive his tests beyond genin level. It had taken the unique combination of a jinchuuriki, an Uchiha and a chakra specialist to do so.

"Yes, I know," she admitted.

"You will do well." Desiring some contact with her, he reached out to brush the back of his hands down her left cheek, noting with satisfaction that her eyes darkened at his touch. "Go to sleep, Sakura. You will need it," he told her quietly, allowing his hand to fall away from her.

"Guess you're right," she responded, gathering her weapons back into her battered weapons pouch.

"Good night."

"Good night, Itachi."

Straightening to his feet, Itachi stepped away from her to return to his room, ignoring the urge to remain with her.

The only thing stopping him from progressing further now was the need to maintain some professionalism in their situation. Nevertheless, he was beginning to wish that this assignment would end sooner than later, for it was growing harder to resist the pink-haired temptation. The desire to make this relationship real was increasing by the day.

000

* * *

000

Kakashi had not been joking when he told them this would be hard, Sakura thought wearily as Naruto lowered Sasuke to the ground before joining them.

Gulping in much needed air, she glanced over her shoulder at the dark forms seated behind her. Sasuke and Naruto had pressed their backs against hers in a triangle formation, allowing them to catch their breath without dropping their guard. The harsh sounds of their breaths broke the silence of the forest, but she knew that it was near impossible to stop it.

It was their first break in hours, after all.

"S-Sasuke?" she rasped.

"Hm," he grunted.

"I need to run a scan over you."

"Later."

Sakura let out a sigh of frustration. Sasuke was stubborn, but she suspected she knew why he resisted her attempts to heal him for the last half a day. They had been running from their attackers for almost two full days without sleep, sustained only by soldier pills, so none of them had much chakra to spare.

It would be alright if Sasuke had not gotten hit by that strange blast from the unknown ANBU Kakashi had roped in to help with their training. But she knew why Sasuke had jumped in front of it. It was not so much to protect her, but to protect the bell hidden within her.

Naruto had been the one to supply the idea, something he had learnt from Hinata just recently. It was some sort of transformation jutsu which allowed an object to be hidden in one's body, the most secure method to transport something via a messenger. The person performing the jutsu had to have very precise control of his or her chakra to ensure that the object remained hidden safely within its host.

With a small amount of trepidation, Sakura had decided to do it, hiding the bell within her body. She had to make sure the bell was secure until they reached the drop off point, and then she would have to unseal the bell.

Somehow, their latest ANBU attacker had realized where the bell was hidden, or perhaps he was simply guessing. So, when he had moved to attack her with some sort of specialized unsealing jutsu, Sasuke had stepped in the way to make sure that she was not hit. What worried her was that Sasuke seemed a bit too weakened now although the jutsu was merely an unsealing one. It should not really harm him.

Naruto sighed. "You're an idiot, Teme. You couldn't have found any other way to stop the bastard?"

"Shut up, Dobe. Do you want them to find the bell?" Sasuke bit out harshly.

Still worried, Sakura turned to her Uchiha teammate. "Please, Sasuke. Just let me check to see if it's anything serious."

Sasuke shook his head. "You need chakra for that. I can last."

She frowned. They were almost at the drop off point, so maybe Sasuke was right. There was no visible wound on him, anyway. He just seemed drained and weakened.

Naruto jumped to his feet. "Let's move."

Already? Sakura almost groaned out loud.

Sasuke stood up. "The sooner we get it to the drop off, the sooner we can go home."

Knowing that they were right, Sakura stood up with a sigh. "Let's go then."

She just wanted to get this over with. And once everything was done, she would go home to a nice hot shower, a nice hot meal and then bed.

000

* * *

000

"You made it."

Kakashi had to hide a grin when his only female student glared at him through her grimy strands of no-longer-pink hair. She was not pleased, but it was no less than what he had expected when he set the task. At least the three of them were still standing uninjured, albeit a little mud-encrusted.

Well alright, the three of them were barely recognizable underneath all that mud, he admitted to himself with no small amount of amusement.

"Of course we made it, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled indignantly, pointing a grubby finger at him. His blue eyes flashed, standing out starkly from the rest of his caked-up face. "You really think we're that weak?"

"Yare-yare, no need to sound so angry, Naruto," Kakashi soothed, waving a hand in front of him.

"The drop off point was rigged," Sasuke growled from behind a mask of dried mud. "That was petty."

"Ah, yes," Kakashi chuckled sheepishly. "Made things more exciting, don't you think?" he asked, sliding a glance at Sakura.

Sakura continued to glare at him, her lethal fists clenched by her side. Kakashi had to suppress a shudder of unease. It was never good news when Sakura was silent like this. Perhaps it was best that he defused the situation. Soon.

"Since you three made it out so quickly, let me treat you to ramen," he offered, knowing he would probably regret it considering Naruto's appetite.

"Ramen, Sensei?" Sakura spoke up for the first time, eyes still boring into him in a very-very bad way. "I'd say we deserve better, don't you?" she ground out threateningly.

Kakashi sweat-dropped.

"Hey, what's wrong with ramen?" Naruto whined.

"The new grill restaurant," Sasuke muttered, obviously catching on to what Sakura had in mind, and decided to bring up the most expensive restaurant in the entire Konoha.

Kakashi sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine."

Only then did he feel the killing intent disappear from Sakura's petite form. Relieved that he was saved from the indignity of being punted across Konoha by his favorite student, Kakashi graciously decided that he could afford to treat them.

"So, Sensei, what was that session like in comparison with the real thing?" she asked.

"Actually, that was exactly the same as the ANBU examination last year," he told them. "Without the mud."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Really? And we actually made it!"

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "You'd better make sure I don't have to haul your ass across half the forest in the real thing, Teme."

"Shut up, Dobe."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard those words. None of his ANBU friends had reported injuring any of them seriously. The three of them had been good enough to avoid being badly wounded, as far as Kakashi knew. So this was a surprise to him, as well as the fact that it was _Sasuke_ who had apparently been injured.

"You're injured?" he asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's nothing now."

"Teme was really drained after this ANBU attacked, but that was yesterday." Naruto scratched his head. "He seems okay now."

Turning to the team medic, Kakashi asked, "You checked?"

"I checked a few hours ago, Sensei. Everything seems normal, though. It was a little strange."

"Strange indeed," Kakashi echoed.

Naruto stretched. "Well, I'm heading home now."

"Yeah, me too," Sakura added, yawning widely. "It's been a long session."

Kakashi watched as his team trudged away from the Forbidden Forest, looking a little worse for wear. A smile curved his lips when he realized just how much they have grown.

And how proud he was of all three of them.

000

* * *

000

Tsunade studied the five shinobi standing in front of her. She had called them in for a catch-up briefing in preparation for the trap they had set for the rogue Uchiha, during the event that would take place in one week.

Kakashi was his usual lackadaisical self, half leaning against the nearest wall. Next to him was Naruto, who was a mass of coiled energy. Sandwiched between Naruto and Sakura was Sasuke, who was wearing a brooding look as usual. The three of them looked tired, but she knew that it was because Kakashi had been putting them through some last-minute intensive training in preparation for their ANBU examination.

Tsunade's eyes sharpened as her gaze landed on Sakura and Itachi, who were standing side by side. She was not so old that she could not see the little signs of intimacy between those two. Their sleeves brushed, but although that was their only physical contact, Tsunade could detect something… more… flowing between them. The occasional looks Sakura gave Itachi told her that much. Had the charade of the relationship taken a different turn at some point?

She fixed her attention on Uchiha Itachi. Unsurprisingly, he gave away nothing with his countenance. He could not fail to see that Sakura was a little fond of him, as perceptive as Tsunade knew he was, so was he reciprocating, or was he ignoring it? She frowned inwardly at the thought that this might get a little complicated for both of them.

"Anything out of the ordinary since Sakura moved in?" she asked, although she could guess at his response.

The older Uchiha shook his head. "No. Daisuke had not made a move."

"Ultimately, Daisuke wants the scroll. With the Uchiha compound secured so tightly on normal days, the risk of getting in is high," Kakashi pointed out with a shrug. "He will wait for the engagement celebration, I'd say."

Tsunade turned to the Uchiha. "You've spoken to the elders about the ceremony?"

"Yes. It will be done in an 'open-house' manner," Itachi elaborated.

Sakura frowned. "Won't Daisuke suspect anything?"

Sasuke shook his head. "The clan normally opens the compound gates for events like this. There hasn't been a major event like this in the clan recently, so most people wouldn't have known."

"So, how do we know Daisuke is aware of what's happening? Has anyone made the announcement yet?"

"Sasuke and Naruto made it yesterday," Kakashi told her.

Tsunade nodded. They continued to discuss the specifics of the mission, going through what they already knew, but needed reaffirming.

It seemed as if everyone knew their role and had performed their task in a timely manner. There was nothing left for them to do except keep their eyes and ears open as the engagement ceremony approached.

"Well, if there's nothing else, you're all dismissed.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade's eyes landed on the pink-haired kunoichi. "Wait a moment, Sakura."

Her apprentice stopped at the doorway. "Yes, Shishou?"

"A word, please."

Without hesitation, Sakura nodded and closed the door behind her. Walking back to stand in front of the desk, Sakura waited for her to speak.

"Are you doing alright in the Uchiha compound?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, Shishou. It's not as awkward as I thought it would be, to be honest."

Tsunade's lips quirked. "Anything to do with a certain Uchiha?"

Blushing, Sakura's eyes flickered left and right. "They are all Uchiha over there," she muttered.

"Uchiha Itachi, then," Tsunade clarified impatiently. "Anything I should know about the two of you?"

Sakura's emerald eyes flickered uneasily. "Shishou? Is there a problem with my performance?" she asked instead.

"No, it's not about that." Tsunade let out a long breath. "Just remember that this is a mission, Sakura," she reminded gently, hoping that her apprentice understood her underlying advice. It was better to be safe than sorry, in this situation.

Sakura tensed a little. "I know," she responded quietly.

"Do not get too involved," she told her apprentice briskly, and then inclined her head towards the door. "You can leave now."

With a nod, the pink-haired kunoichi let herself out, leaving Tsunade to shake her head in resignation. Their conversation merely confirmed what she had suspected earlier. All Tsunade could only hope that this development did not jeopardize the mission or cause her apprentice any problems in the future.

000

* * *

000

Sakura exhaled loudly as she descended the stair quickly, eager to leave the Hokage Tower. The conversation she just had with Tsunade was rather disturbing, and she did not know what to make of it. It was almost as if her shishou suspected that there was something going on between her and Itachi and was warning her to stop whatever it was.

Sakura grimaced, knowing that such a thing was far too late now. The two weeks that had passed since their kiss in the training grounds were filled with intimate moments, although things had not progressed as far as the bedroom yet. She flushed at the thought of if, wondering what Itachi would do if she suddenly turned up in his bedroom one night.

Groaning, Sakura gave herself a mental shake. She was turning to be one of those rabid, panting fangirls, something that would not do at all.

When Sakura walked out of the Hokage Tower, Itachi was there, waiting for her. At her appearance, he pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and walked towards her. She almost held her breath at the sight of him, not being able to get over the fact that he returned her feelings, at least on the physical side.

That was enough, wasn't it?

Brushing away the niggle of unease from her mind, she smiled when he closed the distance between them. Once he reached her, he raised a questioning brow.

Understanding his unspoken question, she shook her head. "Nothing important.

"Hm."

He did not look convinced, but there was no way she would tell Itachi that Tsunade had effectively warned her not to do what they were currently indulging in. It was somewhat selfish of her, she knew. As ridiculous as it sounded, she was worried that he might break things off if she told him. She simply did not want to take the chance.

Deciding to change the subject, she said, "Your mother was talking about the guest list last night."

"You may invite whomever you wish," he told her.

She winced. "Yes." Lowering her voice, she continued, "It's not like I have anyone except colleagues. My… uh… parents…" she faltered, uncertain how she should broach the subject.

"I'm aware of that," he interjected quietly. "Sasuke told us."

Her lips parted in surprise. It was something that she did not like to talk about, even though it had happened a long time ago. She had to remember to thank Sasuke one day for unwittingly helping her out with that.

It seemed that Itachi had sensed that this was not a topic she wished to discuss, because he turned to offer his arm to her, like he always did. She slipped her hand along his arm until her fingers found his, and then smiled up at him, reveling in the way he was looking at her. It was subtle, but the affection was clearly there. A year ago, she would have said that Uchiha Itachi was not capable of such a look, but now she knew better. He was just more restrained with emotional displays, that was all.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, drawing her out of her musings.

She nodded. It was almost lunchtime.

"Is there a particular restaurant you wish to go to?"

"I don't mind. You choose," she said.

And with that, he led her along the streets of Konoha. She followed him wordlessly, thinking just how easy and comfortable it felt, going for food after a mission briefing. The integration between their professional and personal life seemed almost seamless, something that she truly appreciated.

This was not the first time, but one of the many times she was walking to a restaurant beside Itachi as if they were on a real date. Well, she supposed it could be considered to be a real date now, seeing that their charade of a relationship had morphed into real attraction.

And with that thought, Tsunade's words came back to her, making her frown inwardly as the wellbeing she had felt earlier dissipated. Sakura huffed inwardly, annoyed that the subject had reappeared in her thoughts again.

Tsunade might suspect that she had feelings for Itachi, but she probably did not know that Itachi reciprocated it. That would explain why her shishou had found it necessary to issue the warning. However, although Sakura understood that it was probably nothing, she could not help but feel a little on edge each time she thought about the issue.

It was best that she tried to ignore it. For now.

000

* * *

000

Something was troubling her.

Itachi was not fooled by her apparent calm and ease. Ever since the briefing two days ago, Sakura had been a little distracted, worried even. The fact that there was something troubling her made him feel rather tense. But what was worse was that she evidently did not trust him enough to share her concerns.

That irked him greatly, therefore, he had decided to confront the issue. He made his move once he was certain that everyone had gone to their respective rooms to retire for the night. Only then did Itachi make his way to the guest wing, his steps soundless in the night.

Once he was outside Sakura's room, he tapped on the door. She was inside; he could hear her.

"Sakura," he called out quietly, identifying himself.

There was a brief pause before the muffled thuds of footsteps grew louder. And then Sakura opened the door, her expression telling him that she was clearly surprised to see him. She was wearing a sleeping yukata, having prepared herself to retire for the night. Her eyes darted over her shoulder, as if to ensure that her room was presentable, before she pulled the door open wider.

"Come in?" she asked tentatively, stepping aside.

"Aa."

He stepped past her into her room, his eyes taking in his surroundings. Her meager belongings were scattered around the room, and although she had been living there for more than two weeks, it was clear from the appearance of the room that it was not a permanent domicile. He wondered how her belongings would look like next to his, should their relationship progress further.

"Is something the matter, Itachi?"

He turned to find her standing behind him. "I wish to ask you the same question," he returned evenly.

Her eyes flickered with uncertainty. "What do you mean?"

"You have been… detached."

Her expression wavered, and Itachi could tell that she was deliberating if she should keep up an act or tell him the truth. He hoped that it was the latter, but when she let out a light chuckle, he knew that she had chosen the former. It was somewhat… disappointing.

"I'm just a little preoccupied with everything," she told him.

That was neither here nor there, he thought, slightly irked by her avoidance. "Preoccupied?" he prompted.

She nodded. "Engagement stuff." She inhaled, and then released slowly. "I also feel a little bad about it, because your family is going out of their way to arrange so many things when this is all just a sham."

Whilst it was clear that she was attempting to avoid the real question, her words had been sincere enough. It was just like Sakura to be concerned about something like this. The effort his clan was putting in for the engagement ceremony was only fitting, in some ways, because ultimately, the objective was the safeguarding of an Uchiha scroll.

"It is an Uchiha scroll, so it is reasonable to expect some effort from the clan."

"Well, they don't even know the thing exists, right?" Sakura gave him a curious look. "Where did you hide it, anyway?"

"Some place safe."

Her lips quirked. "Guess you're not telling me, huh?"

He shook his head. Deciding to steer the conversation back to his original intention, Itachi murmured quietly, "Sakura, you're avoiding the question."

"What are you talking about?"

He tamped down his irritation. "I asked you earlier. You have been detached… quiet… for the last couple of days. Why?"

She averted her eyes abruptly. "Look, you don't want to know, alright?" Her voice was a little strained.

"Do not presume, Sakura."

Her mouth opened, and then closed, a furrow appearing between her brows as she considered his words. A brittle chuckle left her before she said, "Itachi. It's nothing to worry about. Just something minor, really."

He continued to look at her, not missing how she was beginning to fidget under his regard. She would relent eventually, he knew. But he was rather puzzled by her reluctance. What could be so bad that she could not simply tell him about it?

Finally, she sighed loudly. "Remember the briefing we just had a few days ago?"

He nodded. The Hokage had asked Sakura to stay back.

"Tsunade sort of… cautioned me. About falling for you," Sakura divulged reluctantly.

His eyes widened, somewhat surprised by the unexpected interference. And then he recalled that Sakura was the Hokage's apprentice, so perhaps the concern should have been expected, although unwarranted. He looked away from her, studying the window as he mulled over her words. What puzzled him more was Sakura's reaction to his question. Why was it so difficult for her to tell him such a simple thing? Did she trust him so little that she did not think he would understand?

The question of trust brought forth an issue that he had thrust to the back of his mind several weeks ago, when Sasuke had revealed the status of Sakura's parents. Was it possible, despite their growing attraction, that she did not trust him as much as she trusted her teammates?

It was entire possible, and Itachi knew that he should not be surprised. She had grown up with her teammates, after all, while she had known him for a much shorter time.

Itachi frowned inwardly at his ridiculous expectations, not really understanding why he felt that way in the first place. It was unreasonable to expect so much from her.

"Itachi?"

Her soft voice drew his attention, making him return his eyes to her. She wore an expression of concern, as if she was not certain how she should proceed next. It was a look which did not suit her, he decided.

"You are right. It is a minor issue," he told her evenly.

There was a flash of relief in her eyes and then a smile emerged. "See, I told you."

"Hm."

"So, that's all you came to ask me about?" she asked softly.

It might have been his initial objective, but now that he was here, and they were alone, perhaps he should remain. For a while.

So he took a few steps to close the distance between them, watching her bite her lips when he stopped before her. The little action of hers distracted him from what he was about to say to her. Instead, he was inundated by the usual surge of desire to touch her. From the darkening of her emerald orbs, Itachi knew that Sakura was affected similarly.

So, he lowered his head, giving in to the urge to touch her.

As always, she accepted him in a rush, responding to his kisses with the passion that had been missing when this whole relationship was still a charade. But now that it was real, her responses were heated, and it called forth a similar desperate need from him. It was something he could not ignore, no matter how much he wished he could control his own responses. She made him feel.

And he felt.

He felt her silky skin under his hands and his lips. He felt her fingers running over him, drawing groans of pleasure from his throat. His top was yanked off impatiently, landing on the floor beside them. Her yukata was parted, allowing him access that he accepted without hesitation.

Time lost its meaning for him as he indulged in the sensual play, Sakura meeting him touch for touch. He did not remember the last time he had felt like this. Perhaps never. Perhaps he would only ever feel this way with Sakura, and no one else. The thought was sobering, but not enough for him to pause in his exploration.

They both fell to the floor, limbs tangled hopelessly. Dimly, it occurred to Itachi that they were taking this further than they had ever done before, but he could not bring himself to stop. The need was all consuming, clouding his thoughts and making his usually steady hands tremble as his fingers grazed the soft skin underneath him.

And then he stilled suddenly, his heart thudding so loudly in his ears that he could not be sure he had heard what he thought he had heard. Tearing his eyes away from the sight of a disheveled Sakura lying on her back, he fixed his gaze on the door.

And then it came again.

The sound of footsteps in the guest wing.

Based on the cadence of the approaching footsteps and the fact that Sakura was the only one staying in the guest wing, Itachi deduced that his mother was on her way to visit the woman lying very still underneath him now.

Itachi felt the urge to curse at the untimely interruption.

However, he managed to maintain silence and lifted himself off Sakura, who was now blushing fiery red, much to his amusement. It was difficult to believe that this was the same woman who had returned his caresses without inhibition just a few minutes ago.

"My mother is approaching," he told her as he pulled on his black top. He was reluctant to leave her, but he knew that it was necessary. Although he knew that his mother would probably accept the situation, Itachi knew that Sakura would feel awkward.

Without looking at him, Sakura pulled close her yukata and stood up. "What now?" she asked quietly, darting a quick look at him before fixing her gaze at the door.

He inclined his head towards the window. "I'll leave."

She turned to him with a small smile, and to his surprise, rose to her toes to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Goodnight, Itachi."

He nodded, cupping her cheek lightly before he released her and vaulted out of the window. As he walked around the house to return to his own room, Itachi could not help but wonder what one would think if they saw him escape from his fiancé's room.

000

* * *

000

"Tomorrow."

"Yes, Ino, tomorrow," Sakura sighed as she eyed her manicured toenails, courtesy of her best female friend.

Ino grinned up at her as she capped the nail polish. "I can't believe you're really officially engaged to Itachi. He's such a catch."

"Hey, that's my fiancé you're talking about," Sakura muttered, the words coming out of her so easily that it worried her a little. Tsunade's warning came back to her, making her fidget slightly.

"Ooh, possessive, are we?" Ino teased.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but did not answer. Despite her continual assurances to herself that things would be okay tomorrow, she could not help but feel a little anxious. The mission was one thing she was concerned about, but that was just the usual thing which came with every mission. What was more worrying was the uncertainty of what would happen between her and Itachi after tomorrow, if they managed to apprehend Daisuke. They had not discussed it at all, and she could not help but doubt, just a little.

"Well, Forehead. I'd say you have nothing to worry on that front."

Sakura blinked, not quite understanding what Ino was saying because she had been thinking of something else. "What? Worry about what?"

An impatient huff left her blonde friend. "I doubt anyone could miss how possessive Itachi is of you, so it's not like you need to worry that someone else would steal him. They would fail miserably. He's in love with you, after all."

"He is?" Sakura blurted out, a little shocked.

Ino shrugged. "It's obvious."

Sakura frowned as she mulled over the notion, and then promptly decided that Ino was just exaggerating, as usual. Still, she could not help but ask, "Only recently, right? He only seemed …um… in love over the past few weeks, right?"

Ino gave her a bewildered look. "Well. I guess before that, he was just possessive. Do you remember that time you had lunch with Neji right after you started dating Itachi? You told me about it."

Sakura frowned, but said nothing.

"Well, from the sound of things, Itachi was not too happy about the two of you being so close," Ino pointed out. "I'd say that means he'd been possessive for a long time. The love part just came naturally after that, I guess."

"Right," Sakura muttered thoughtfully.

Could Ino be right about it? Had Itachi's feelings for her emerged not just recently, but a long time ago? Could it be that she had been so caught up in the charade that she had not noticed anything? Well, it was entirely possible, she supposed. After all, she had not even realized that Itachi returned her feelings until he went out of his way to show her. And before that, she had denied her own feelings for him.

"Forehead!"

She jumped slightly at her friend's loud voice. "What?" she snapped.

Ino frowned at her. "You're not having second thoughts about Itachi, are you?" She waved a hand about randomly. "You know, engagement jitters and all?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Nothing like that."

Ino eyed her with a dubious expression. "Okay." She paused, pursing her lips, and then turned to Sakura. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but I'm going to ask anyway."

"What?"

"You're not being pressured into this, are you?" Ino asked, looking uneasy.

Sakura groaned. "No, Ino. How did the conversation get to this point, anyway?"

However, before Ino could respond a loud knock drew both girls' attention to the window. Ino shrieked, and Sakura almost jumped when she saw Naruto's whiskered face pressed against the window.

Glowering, she stalked towards the window and opened it. "Naruto, what is it?" she snapped impatiently.

Whatever Naruto was about to say was cut short when Ino rushed forward to grab his collar in her fist, hauling him into the room. Naruto shrank back visibly when the red-faced Ino glared at him.

"Don't you ever dare to climb up to my bedroom window again, Uzumaki Naruto! Is that clear?" Ino snarled, shaking him roughly.

Naruto winced, and then nodded quickly. "Sorry, Ino. Won't happen again."

Ino huffed, and then released him.

"So, what is it, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Rubbing his neck, he told her, "Just came to see how you're holding up? With the… ah… engagement stuff."

"Okay, I guess." Sakura glanced down at her painted nails, and then thrust her hands under her teammate's nose. "Doing girl stuff."

Naruto's nose twitched, no doubt a little disturbed by the smell. "Ah… great," he muttered thickly, inching backwards. "Uh, also, Kakashi wants to see us."

"On the day before her engagement ceremony?" Ino cried out incredulously. "This is not about some mission, is it?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh…"

Sakura groaned inwardly. She had better get Naruto out of here before he ended up compromising their mission. Besides, Kakashi probably had some last minute thing to tell them. "Ino, I'll be back later in the evening, alright?"

Ino nodded, but there was a look of disapproval on her face. "I can't believe you guys are going to talk about shinobi stuff now, of all times," she muttered.

Sakura grinned, and then waved at her disgruntled friend before turning around to grab Naruto's arm. "Come on, let's go."

With that, they went to the window and leapt out.

The moment their feet touched the ground, an explosion cracked through the air, shaking the surroundings.

Her eyes widened in horror.

"What the hell?" Naruto snarled.

"What was that?" she whispered.

Both Naruto and her glanced up at the same time and saw the ball of smoke rising in the air. Alarms began to blare from that direction, and Sakura's heart skipped a beat when she realized just where the smoke was coming from.

"It's the Uchiha compound," she said in a shaky voice.

Naruto spun towards her, his features hardening as comprehension dawned. "Now?"

She nodded grimly. "So it seems. We need to head straight there."

It appeared that Daisuke had decided to attack early.

000

* * *

000

The battle had commenced rapidly, with the members of the Uchiha clan rushing out after the initial explosion to confront the enemy forces.

Surrounded by other battling pairs, Itachi stood at the courtyard closest to the south wall of the Uchiha compound, watching his opponent intently. So, Daisuke had chosen to attack just the day before the celebration, when most of the clan was preparing for tomorrow's event. They had obviously underestimated Daisuke's intelligence.

For a moment, Itachi wondered where Sakura was now. She had gone to the Yamanaka girl's place to spend the day and night, but he was certain by now, she would have concluded that Daisuke had chosen to attack. The question was, was she now in the Uchiha compound?

Displeased by how his attention was straying, Itachi told himself that Sakura was more than competent as a kunoichi, and instead of distracting himself with thoughts of her, he should be focusing on his current opponent.

The shinobi standing before him was an Uchiha, one so young that Itachi deduced he must have left Konoha when he was only five or so. The teenager did not wear a hitai-ate, which told Itachi that that the boy had not even made genin before he had deserted with Daisuke and a handful of others Itachi had glimpsed earlier.

He continued to study the boy, noting his stance and his chakra flow. Daisuke must have trained this one, but Itachi could tell from his battle stance that the boy had other influences as well. It made one wonder just how many followers Daisuke had. So far, Itachi had seen about thirty foreign shinobi, but that was only in the Uchiha compound. He was certain that there were more outside. The sheer number of his followers was staggering, but considering what he ultimately wished to do with the scroll, perhaps Itachi should not be surprised.

The scroll must remain hidden, for if Daisuke managed to obtain it, he would be able to bring back Uchiha Madara and possibly others. Disorder would follow someone as power-hungry as Madara wherever he went, as was proven a decade ago.

"Itachi-san," the boy greeted carefully. "I don't think you remember me. I'm Uchiha Katsuo."

"Katsuo." Itachi recalled a young, cheerful boy who used to play by the lake with his cousins, a boy who used to look up at him. He looked different now. "Tell me, why did you choose to betray Konoha?"

The boy blanched slightly. "It's Konoha that has betrayed the Uchiha clan, Itachi-san," he explained, but Itachi could tell that those words lacked conviction.

Perhaps the boy was not truly convinced by Daisuke's propaganda. However, Katsuo had chosen to stand against Konoha at this point, so Itachi had no choice but to fight him. He knew that it would be over fast.

"Then do not waste time." Itachi gave him a stony look. "Attack."

The boy's eyes widened slightly, and then, his entire body tensing, he charged. Itachi deflected his attacks easily. The boy could not hope to win, with his skills, but there was a hint of uncertainty in the boy's attacks which made it worse. Clearly, Katsuo did not wish to be there.

Deciding not to prolong the pointless battle, Itachi executed a water jutsu, sending it crashing towards Katsuo. He saw the boy's eyes widen in fear, and then his expression was blocked by the body of water slamming him against one of the compound walls, knocking him unconscious.

Once the water had settled around them, Itachi stood over the unconscious boy, who had merely followed the wrong man. Something told Itachi that this one would not mind coming back to Konoha, should the Hokage decide to pardon him. With that thought, he reached down to bind the unconscious boy's limbs, and then took him to the nearest house to deposit him there.

Only then did Itachi return to the battle.

Just as he was about to engage another opponent, a non-Uchiha missing-nin this time, Itachi saw Sasuke standing in the distance, just in front of the compound gates. It seemed that his little brother had decided to join the battle. A frisson of concern coursed through him, and Itachi had to still the urge to prevent Sasuke from fighting. He was a competent shinobi, and to prevent Sasuke from fighting would only invite suspicion.

So Itachi resolutely took his eyes away from his little brother.

000

* * *

000

Was all missing nins this obnoxious?

Sakura ground her teeth together as she circled the white-haired shinobi with the disturbingly sharp fangs. This one seemed to think the world of his strength, even though he had only struck her once in the last fifteen minutes of battle.

"Give up, little kunoichi."

"Think again," she growled, and then charged forward with her kunai.

He opponent sidestepped, and she could almost swear that her blade had caught his side. But then she thought she saw his flesh ripple where the blade had made contact. It was odd. Everything happened so fast that she was not entirely sure what she had seen.

She somersaulted backwards, landing on her feet to stare at her opponent. He was smirking at her, running his finger along his side. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that there was no visible wound.

"That wouldn't work, little kunoichi."

She ground her teeth together, disliking the patronizing way he addressed her. "What wouldn't work?"

"You can't wound me."

"And why not?"

He shrugged. "I can liquefy my flesh."

Sakura's eyes widened in astonishment. So that was what she had seen just now. How was that even possible? Maybe he was just bluffing. Maybe it was genjutsu. Well, she knew of one way to displace a genjutsu.

Drawing her arm back, she slammed her fist into the ground, sending fractures propagating outwards from the point of contact. The thundering crack of earth separating ripped through the air, which was now clouded with dust.

She heard a loud curse, and then saw her opponent streaking high up in the air in an attempt to avoid the debris from the exploding ground. To her immense satisfaction, a large chunk of earth caught her target, bringing him down to the ground with a heavy thud.

When the cloud of dust cleared, Sakura eyed the figure pushing himself up from the ground, wincing as he did so.

"What did you say about not wounding you?" she taunted.

He bared his fangs at her. "Looks like I have to take you seriously." Eyes gleaming maliciously, he hissed, "Well, here goes…"

Reaching back with one arm, he grasped the hilt of his weapon and pulled it out to the front. Sakura's eyes widened in recognition when she saw the fully-revealed weapon.

"Wait! That's… That's…"

The shinobi smirked. "Recognize it, do you? It's Zabuza's sword. He calls it the Decapitating Carving Knife."

The last time she saw the sword, it was at Zabuza's grave. Did this bastard mean to tell her that he had desecrated Zabuza's grave just for a piece of weapon? Had he no sense of honor?

"You…" she hissed in outrage. "How dare you STEAL from a grave?"

He shrugged. "Why not? Zabuza doesn't need it anymore. " He swung the sword around. "Too bad I can't use this to decapitate you, though. The boss wants you intact, just in case we need some leverage."

Sakura felt a vein tick in her forehead. There was no way she would allow herself to be kidnapped again, no matter what this freak said or did. She quickly performed a series of seals for a wind jutsu.

"Fuuton: Kaiten Shuriken!"

Three rotating discs of wind appeared, separating and then spinning swiftly towards her target from different directions. Her opponent's eyes narrowed as he swung his blade around, but the weapon was too bulky to move fast enough. He managed to kill one of spinning wind discs, but the other two continued to speed towards him.

And then he smirked at her. "Not so fast, little kunoichi."

The moment the two discs of wind shuriken made contact with him, Sakura watched in bewilderment as the entirety of his body turned into transparent liquid, rendering her attack useless. Her wind jutsu was simply absorbed into the body of liquid.

She clenched her fingers tight around the kunai in her hand. So it was not a genjutsu after all, but something physical. How did one attack something that could turn himself insubstantial at will?

At that very moment, Sakura knew that her opponent might pose a problem for her.

000

* * *

000

Itachi glanced towards the compound gates again once he had disposed of his fifth rogue nin.

Sasuke was still there, taking on another rogue nin who was obviously at a disadvantage. A flash of pink caught his eyes then, and Sakura's familiar form registered, as well as their blonde teammate's. They were now fighting within the compound, against different opponents. The fact that Sasuke was not alone went a long way in reassuring Itachi that his younger brother would have back up close at hand if he needed one.

However, his relief soon evaporated when he saw the appearance of their main target.

Uchiha Daisuke had decided to grace them with his presence, finally.

When Itachi noted Daisuke direction of travel, trepidation shot through him. The older Uchiha, leading several other missing nins with him, was moving purposefully in the direction of the compound gates, ignoring everything and everyone else.

"Don't ignore me, you red-eyed bastard!" his opponent, an unknown rogue-nin, snarled.

Irritated, Itachi swung around and activated a genjutsu with his Sharingan. His opponent instantly stilled, his eyes going blank as he was enveloped by illusions, allowing Itachi to pin him to the ground with a handful of kunai before he glanced towards Daisuke again.

Daisuke had arranged his followers into some sort of formation. Much to his dismay, Itachi recognized the seals Daisuke and his minions were now executing. Cursing the fact that he was too far away to stop the jutsu, Itachi could only watch as a spherical barrier emerged around the Uchiha compound, trapping everyone inside with Daisuke and his followers, and keeping everyone else outside.

Itachi grimaced as he began to run towards them. The fact that Daisuke had done this meant that he was certain that the forbidden scroll was hidden within the sphere. It meant that Daisuke wanted no interruptions from the rest of Konoha while he retrieved the scroll.

Daisuke was moving again, this time, heading straight towards his younger brother. It did not make sense. There was no reason for them to target Sasuke. Almost immediately, Itachi's eyes widened in comprehension.

Unless they had found out.

That was unacceptable.

Adrenaline coursing through him, Itachi streaked swiftly towards the compound gates, intent on reaching Sasuke before anyone else could. Already, he could see Daisuke's expression twist into one of triumph, an expression which did not bode well for Sasuke. He was too far to reach them in time for whatever Daisuke had planned.

And then Itachi's eyes widened as Daisuke performed a series of seal for an unfamiliar jutsu. Sasuke turned to his opponent, his stance defensive as he executed the seals for a fire jutsu. It would not be enough to counter Daisuke's attack, Itachi deduced immediately.

With a spurt of effort, Itachi quickly performed a transportation jutsu.

He reappeared in a cloud of smoke in front of Sasuke, just in time to deflect the mass of writhing, metal chains with a jutsu he had sworn to himself that he would not use ever again.

"Amaterasu," he hissed under his breath, watching as flames of the black fire consume the metal chains which would have wrapped around Sasuke if he had not caught it.

"N-Nii-san," Sasuke stammered uncertainly.

Itachi glanced at Sasuke out of the corner of his eyes, noting the expression of bewilderment and concern on his face. "Not now, Sasuke."

"Your eyes." Sasuke swallowed. "They are bleeding."

Itachi nodded once. He knew that it would happen if he was to use the technique, but it could not be helped this time. Anything else would have been too little, too late. He watched as the black flames descended to the ground, burning the remains of the metal chains. Through the dark smoke, he could see the approach of several figures. Uchiha Daisuke and his underlings.

"Sasuke. Step aside," Itachi bit out sternly.

"I can handle him," Sasuke retorted flatly.

Itachi clenched his jaw. It was not the matter of Sasuke being able to handle the rogue nin or not. The fact was, at this point, Sasuke was far too important to risk. The boy simply did not realize it.

"Tsk-tsk, Sasuke-kun. Looks like you don't know how much you're worth," Daisuke drawled with a humorless chuckle. "Didn't your dear brother let you in on the secret?"

Itachi froze.

"What secret?" Sasuke asked warily.

Daisuke's eyes gleamed malevolently as he prepared to reveal what he knew.

"That your body is the host for a most precious scroll."

000

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000

A/N: Things are wrapping up fast now. Hope you've enjoyed that. Please review if you could. Thank you!

:elle6778:


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: Thank you for your reviews. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well! It is the longest chapter in this story so far, so please get comfortable.

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**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 16**

Sasuke tensed as Uchiha Daisuke's words sank in.

His body was a… host? A host for the Uchiha scroll? The scroll that contained the jutsu capable of prolonging one's lifespan unnaturally? The scroll that had contributed to the conflict between Konoha and half the Uchiha clan ten years ago?

Sasuke flicked a glance out of the corner of his eyes, and saw that Itachi was wearing a cold, stony expression. Itachi, who had never done much without a good reason, had chosen to seal the scroll within his own brother. At the thought, Sasuke was swamped by a myriad of emotions; anger, apprehension, disbelief and then lastly… comprehension.

Itachi must have decided even back then that he would grow to be a powerful shinobi, otherwise Itachi would not have sealed the scroll within him. It made no sense to hide the scroll somewhere vulnerable after all. Sasuke had to acknowledge that his brother must have a lot of faith in him to do such a thing.

Furthermore, Itachi could watch him carefully without anyone suspecting anything. After all, it was natural for one to protect his younger sibling, was it not? Sasuke could not help but wonder if that was why Itachi tended to push him to excel when he'd been younger. Itachi only stopped prodding him shortly after Team 7 was formed with Kakashi at its helm.

"Didn't think I'd find out, did you, Itachi?" Daisuke mocked, breaking the train of his thoughts.

Sasuke grimaced. Yes. How then, did Daisuke find out about it?

As if he had heard the unspoken question, Daisuke chuckled. "Suffered an injury recently, Sasuke-kun?"

Itachi glanced at him sharply, questioningly. In a monotone, he pointed out, "Normal injuries will not affect the seal."

He had not suffered any… And then, Sasuke sucked in a quick breath when he realized what had happened. In a strained voice, he said, "The training session. I was hit by an unsealing jutsu."

"That's fortunate for me, isn't it?" Daisuke smiled widely. He took out another scroll and let it unfurl to reveal a map of sorts. "Or else this wouldn't have shown me the scroll's location."

Hands clenched into fists, Sasuke glared at the deserter. "You will not have the scroll."

Daisuke raised a mocking brow. "Oh, you think you can best me, Sasuke-kun? Such confidence."

"Step back, Sasuke," Itachi ordered quietly.

"I can handle him," he retorted harshly. If he could not handle one rogue-nin, then what sort of an ANBU would he be?

"Sasuke-"

Daisuke laughed, cutting Itachi off. Pointing a thumb over his shoulders at his three followers, he said, "There are plenty of us to go around, don't you worry."

A loud crack rent the air suddenly.

Sasuke's eyes whipped to the direction of the sound to see Sakura climbing to her feet shakily, a glowing hand pressed against her back. Her eyes were fixed on her opponent, a white-haired rogue-nin. The wall right behind her was cracked and Sasuke realized that she must have been thrown into it.

And where was Naruto? Sasuke scanned the area hurriedly, his concern for Sakura making him feel on edge. The Dobe had gone elsewhere, and there was no one else in the immediate vicinity. The grimace on Sakura's face told him that she was quite badly hurt, and it made him want to leave this battle to help her.

"No, Sasuke," Itachi told him quietly, as if realizing what he was thinking.

Daisuke smirked. "Go to her and leave your little brother here, Itachi. Looks like your kunoichi is having a hard time. Then again, that's hardly surprising. Suigetsu is quite powerful."

Itachi simply replied blandly, "She is not incapable."

"You're willing to risk her?"

"You underestimate her ability."

Sasuke almost winced. Although Itachi made it sound as if he was confident in her skills, he also sounded as if he was not troubled by Sakura's situation. Then again, theirs was not a real relationship, was it? They were brought together by necessity. But Sakura was his teammate, and damn it, he was worried for her. It made him almost angry with his brother's lack of concern.

"I'll go to her, Nii-san."

Before Itachi could respond, Daisuke smirked, "Not so fast, Sasuke-kun. You have your own battle to deal with, don't you remember?"

The three rogue shinobi behind Daisuke advanced, their expressions twisted in identical menacing snarls. With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke could tell that these three were not to be taken lightly. Their chakra levels were high, and that was enough to make them dangerous. Realizing that he was stuck, he gritted his teeth and widened his stance.

Sakura would have to handle her own battle without his help, it seemed.

000

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000

The door to the Konoha Logistics department banged open and bounced hard against the wall behind.

"Nara!"

Shikamaru snapped around at the Hokage's voice as the door slammed shut. She was striding across his office towards him, her face set in a stony expression. She was not happy, he deduced as he sat up straight in his chair. Great, just what he needed; an unhappy Hokage. No doubt she would demand good news from him and would be even unhappier when he failed to deliver said news. The thought of it made him sag a little.

"I just received a report that there is a barrier around the Uchiha compound." She directed a glare towards the window. "The damned thing can be seen from here."

Great. Just great. Shikamaru closed his eyes dejectedly, and then opened them to peek out of the window behind him. Sure enough, the shimmering, dome-like barrier stared back at him from the distance. He had not even managed to figure out what was the optimum strategy to expel the intruders, and now this? He needed a break.

"There's a handful of Uchiha outside the barrier, amongst others, trying to get in." The Hokage scowled. "The barrier is somewhat familiar to them, but it has been modified, so they couldn't pull it down."

Shikamaru sighed. "Where are they? I need information."

"Two of them are coming here as we speak."

Wonderful.

An exasperated sound left her. "How are you getting along with the strategies?" she asked.

"Still working on them," he replied wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Nothing feasible, so far."

The door to his office creaked open then, drawing their attention. Shikamaru wondered if he should put up a sign to tell his visitors to knock before they enter. It was only polite, after all.

This time, Hatake Kakashi was the one who strode in, looking for all intents and purposes unfazed by the attack on the Uchiha compound.

"Yo." Kakashi's eyes slid to the blonde woman. "Hokage-sama. I was looking for you."

"Is the village secured? The civilians?" she asked.

Kakashi nodded. "We took out the ones in the village. No more rogue nins around, as far as we know. But we got ANBU posted around the village, just in case any more shows up. They are all in the Uchiha compound, last I checked."

"Inside the barrier."

"Unfortunately." Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are in the barrier, though. As well as Itachi."

Tsunade spun towards him, surprised. "Well, that's good news. The ANBU?"

"Yamato rounded up the ANBU. They are circling the barrier now, trying to find a way in. So far, no luck. It repels all the techniques we've thrown at it. They were the ones who saw my team inside the barrier at first, and called me."

"Uchiha Daisuke?"

"Also inside the barrier, just beyond the entrance to the compound. When I was there, Itachi and Sasuke were facing him and his underlings."

Tsunade looked thoughtful. "The members of the clan are good fighters, but they might have their hands full protecting the elderly and the children. Those on our side could be outnumbered."

"Naruto is in there," Shikamaru pointed out. "Numbers cease to matter when he's around."

Tsunade's lips quirked. "That's right. I suppose we have more time then."

Kakashi walked to the door. "I'll keep an eye on things down there."

Following him to the door, Tsunade threw over her shoulder, "Nara, keep working on in. We need those bastards out of Konoha."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Once alone, Shikamaru sat back, feeling the slight ease of pressure which had been weighing upon him ever since Tsunade had given him a quick briefing on the situation an hour ago. Part of him wished that she had told him about the original plan earlier, so that he could have pointed out the obvious flaws in it, whilst another part of him revolted at the headache that would have brought.

However, with those high-powered Konoha shinobi inside together with the rest of the Uchiha clan, they had a better chance of containing the rogue forces. Besides, there was nothing they could do from the outside unless someone worked out a way to break through the barrier.

Troublesome.

So troublesome.

000

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000

Out of the corner of her eyes, Sakura caught sight of Itachi's familiar figure chasing after Daisuke, who was, in turn, running after Sasuke. For a moment, her brows furrowed in confusion. What was going on over there? Sasuke seemed to be the target there, as strange as it seemed.

She had no time to wonder, though. Right now, she had a more pressing matter, namely, her rogue nin opponent.

The damned freak just refused to go down, Sakura fumed as she glared at said freak. They had been at it for a while now, trading attacks but none of them was gaining an upper hand. Grinning maniacally, the shinobi, who had seen fit to inform her that his name was Suigetsu, now circled her like a panther stalking his prey.

In all honesty, she did feel like a prey at the moment.

"You're prolonging the inevitable, kunoichi."

"Oh, and what is that? Your slow and painful death?" she shot back.

He laughed. "You're funny. I'm almost sorry I have to do this."

"If you feel so sorry, why not just stop and surrender?" she suggested sweetly.

"Well, a man has to eat, right?" He shrugged. "This is just another job."

Still circling each other, she snapped, "You can't find a decent job in a normal shinobi village?" Her eyes shot to his forehead. "You don't even have a hitai-ate."

"I trained in Kirigakure, if you must know. Things… didn't work out. Something like that."

Sakura almost missed a step when she saw the flash of sorrow in his eyes. But it was only a brief flash, and now it was gone. What was she doing? She shouldn't be wasting time talking to her opponent. She should be taking him down.

It was as if he had read her mind, for he smirked suddenly. "Enough talking."

"Yeah."

"Prepare to go down, kunoichi!"

In a blink of an eye, Suigetsu shot towards her with his hands extended. He had turned his limbs into some sort of water blade. Sakura sidestepped, arching her back backwards to avoid being sliced by his watery weapon.

Swinging back, she aimed a chakra-enhance fist towards him, only to have the attack pass through harmlessly when he turned his stomach into liquid. She cursed inwardly, trying to withdraw, but to her consternation, found her hand suctioned within him. A gasp of alarm escaped and the next thing she knew, her wrist was secured in his uncompromising grip, preventing her from jumping away.

Pain exploded in her side when his fist connected with her ribs, sending stars dancing before her eyes. Instantly, she knew that at least two of her ribs were broken. First her back, and now her ribs and now she was mad!

She yanked herself away, staggering backwards as she quickly performed a kage-bunshin-no-jutsu.

Three of her clones stood there once the smoke cleared.

"Now, which one of you is the real one?" Suigetsu mused.

Her two bunshins charged towards him, leaving Sakura the opening to heal her broken ribs. She pressed her glowing hand to her side, wincing as flesh and bone mended. It did not take long, and that was fortunate because Suigetsu had already disposed of the two bunshins, and was now advancing towards her.

She was still angry about all the injuries she had sustained.

"Shannaro!" she yelled as she drew back an arm.

And she slammed her fist into the ground, throwing large chunks of rock upward, forcing Suigetsu to scramble for cover. Taking advantage of the commotion, she chased after him until they were standing not far from the compound walls, and not far from the shimmering barrier around the Uchiha compound.

They continued to fight. All the while, Sakura was careful not to have direct physical contact between her own limbs and his body. It was too risky, considering what had happened the last time. She threw a handful of shuriken at him, only to have him block. Spinning around, she swung her kunai as a distraction and then kicked up, but he ducked before her foot connected with his head. He retaliated swiftly, swinging his large sword at him, forcing her to somersault backwards.

They stood facing each other, both panting heavily.

"Had enough, kunoichi?" he asked jaggedly.

"You wish," she snapped right back.

But she knew that this fight could not carry on like this. She had to do something.

And then she glanced down briefly, catching sight of the gloved hands holding the kunai. She frowned then, as an idea occurred to her. It might work, but if it did not, she would be leaving herself vulnerable again. She re-holstered her kunai and prepared herself.

No time to hesitate, she told herself as she darted towards her opponent.

"You haven't learnt your lesson yet, eh?" Suigetsu smirked, sidestepping the first two punches easily.

"We'll see," she shot back, lunging at him again.

And she punched him right in the stomach with her glowing fists. Unsurprisingly, her hand was immediately enveloped by the familiar viscous liquid. The urge to retreat was strong, but she forced herself to remain still.

Instead of pulling back, she directed a large surge of destructive chakra to her fist, and into the body of liquid surrounding it.

Jerking back, Suigetsu hissed, "What the hell!"

He tried to pull back, but her other hand came up to grasp his arm, holding him in place as she fed her chakra into him, disabling his body bit by bit. It was working. Her gamble was paying off, she thought as Suigetsu's face twisted into a pained snarl.

She smirked at him. "Now, what were you saying just now?"

His body was no longer in his control, Suigetsu fell to the ground onto his knees. She followed suit, not breaking their contact. He was convulsing jerkily as she continued to press the destructive chakra into him. She had to withdraw soon, though.

Eyes open wide, he glared at her menacingly. "You'll pay for this!" he snarled.

She shook her head slowly. "Too late now, Suigetsu," she said softly as she withdrew. She did not want to kill him after all, just damage him bad enough so that he stayed down.

"I may be dying," he sneered, pushing himself to his knees, against all odds.

Sakura frowned, taking a wary step back. "But you're not-"

"But I'm taking you down with me!"

Suigetsu vaulted upright, and then charged at her, fueled by nothing but adrenaline and anger and chakra. Sakura's eyes widened in alarm. Suigetsu shouldn't be able to move.

His entire body morphed into water while he streaked towards her, his chakra pulsing around him wildly. Whatever he was planning, it was something big, something she knew she had to counteract, or she would die for sure. He was too fast for her to outrun, so her only option was to defend right now.

She called forth all the chakra she possessed, and held it around her in the attempt to barricade herself against whatever he had planned.

Suigetsu did not stop, even when she held out two handfuls of chakra-infused kunai in his direction in addition to the barrier.

Sakura watched in horror as he came closer and closer, her fingers tightening around the cold metal.

Then she felt her entire body jolt when his liquid-like body crashed into the barrier surrounding her, lifting her off her feet. The liquid spread, enclosing her protective bubble, propelling her backwards in a rush.

Her already-injured body connected with something hard, but she did not know what. At that moment, she saw nothing bar the shimmery mix of her chakra and Suigetsu's liquid body around her.

And then something exploded, blinding the whole area with its brilliant flare.

Sakura cried out as her chakra protection was ripped away. Water choked her, making it impossible for her to draw in much-needed air.

Water… water all around her.

It was in her mouth, lungs… No, she could not breathe!

Dimly, through her hazy eyes, Sakura noticed that the combined attack had rent a rip in the fabric of the dome-like barrier close to them.

And then darkness consumed her.

000

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000

Running his fingers through his hair, Kakashi entered the Logistics department unannounced for the second time that day.

"There's a tear in the barrier," he announced to the man sitting within.

Shikamaru glanced in the direction he was pointing at. The strategist should be able to see that there was a web-like fracture near the entrance gate of the Uchiha compound. Hell, it was big enough. Unfortunately, it was not enough to break the barrier completely. It was simply frustrating.

The strategist looked thoughtful. "How did it happen?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Very suddenly. Too fast for anyone to see what happened. I came here right away."

"If we attack the weak area, it should come down the easiest," Shikamaru said.

"Let's go," he said impatiently.

Together, they sped towards the Uchiha compound, picking up several medics as they passed the hospital. A battle of this magnitude usually had casualties, after all. Kakashi could only hope that his team members were not too badly injured, since it was useless to hope that none of them were injured at all. This was Team Kakashi, after all, and they do tend to go overboard most of the time.

When they arrived, there was a small crowd around the area. Something had happened, from the looks of it. Kiba was behind Hinata, his expression betraying his tension.

"How's she?"

"N-No…"

Kakashi glanced sharply at the stuttering Hyuuga kunoichi, noting the alarm on her features as her heavily veined eyes studied something beyond the compound walls. Dread settled in his stomach. The last he checked, Sakura was fighting in that vicinity.

"Is it Sakura?" he asked urgently.

Hinata turned to him, looking stricken. "She's hurt."

"Sakura's hurt?" Kakashi ground out.

"Bad?" Shino asked.

Hinata nodded, her body shaking slightly now. "She needs the hospital."

"Damn it!" Kakashi hissed, turning to the shinobi next to him.

Shikamaru looked thoughtful. "It didn't crack when ANBU attacked it, but Sakura's attack managed to do it."

"How do you know it's Sakura?"

Shikamaru inclined his head at Hinata. "I think she's knocked out by the impact. Must have hit the barrier hard."

"So you're saying…" Kakashi muttered as realization dawned.

Shikamaru nodded curtly. "Physical attacks. Taijutsu techniques." He turned, eyes landing on a possible candidate. "Kiba, you and Akamaru launch an attack on the crack in the barrier. Don't hold back."

"Got it, Shikamaru."

Without further ado, Kiba and Akamaru prepared to execute their combined jutsu.

"Gatsuuga!" Kiba called out moments before both of them took to the air in the shape of spinning drills.

They connected with the fractured part of the barrier, but nothing happened. Unperturbed, both Kiba and Akamaru tried again.

"Gatsuuga!"

Over and over again, the two of them hurled towards the barrier, attempting to weaken the barrier further. Much to everyone's frustration, the barrier remained standing.

"Not enough. We need more," Shikamaru muttered, and then turned to his old teammate. "Chouji?"

Understanding what the Nara wanted, Chouji nodded. "Kiba! Step back for a minute."

"Baika-no-jutsu!" he called out.

Kakashi stepped back as the Chouji grew bigger, towering over all of them. He was almost the height of the barrier when he finally stopped, and put his hands together.

"Chou Harite!"

Chouji's palms glowed blue with chakra. And then, drawing his hands back, he slammed his palms against the barrier. A loud crack sounded, and the entire barrier wobbled, but much to Kakashi's annoyance, the barrier held.

"Looks like there's another crack," Shikamaru pointed out.

Kakashi looked at where Shikamaru was pointing at, only now noticing what the younger shinobi had seen. It gave him hope. "We should carry on. It will eventually give."

"Agreed," Shikamaru said with a nod. He glanced around, looking for someone. "Where's Gai?"

"Out on mission."

"Tsk… We need brute strength here," Shikamaru hissed.

Brute strength… Kakashi's eyes landed on a chuunin. "You there."

The chuunin came up to him. "Hatake-san?" he queried.

"Go to the Hokage tower and get the Hokage here."

The chuunin nodded, and then rushed away.

Kakashi turned back to Shikamaru, giving him a nod. While they waited for Tsunade, they might as well continue. Chouji was more than prepared to do so.

"Again!" Kakashi instructed.

Hopefully, Tsunade and her monstrous strength would be able to take apart the barrier completely.

000

* * *

000

Daisuke was more stubborn and skilled than Itachi had anticipated. The battle was taking longer than he had expected, and it did not sit well with him.

Furthermore, Itachi did not like the fact that he could not see Sakura from where he was standing. There had been an explosion earlier, and he could not help but wonder if it had anything to do with her. It was likely, considering her fighting style. And since then, there were the occasional explosions and bangs from that direction, but at a lower intensity.

Whilst he was confident of Sakura's ability, he could not help but feel that something was wrong. It was this feeling that kept urging him to turn away from this battle to go to Sakura, but Itachi knew that he could not. Even though he and Sasuke had dealt with the first wave of Daisuke's supporters, Sasuke was now facing a new one, while Itachi stood before Daisuke.

Keeping his expression bland, Itachi watched the older Uchiha carefully. They had been fighting for a while, and the other Uchiha was beginning to appear weary. Daisuke was bleeding from the thigh, where his katana had sliced through earlier, but the injury did not seem to slow him down.

Itachi grimaced at his own injury; a deep gash in his left arm. He had been momentarily distracted when Sasuke was thrown in the air by his opponent. The brief moment of inattention had been enough for Daisuke to make his wind jutsu connect.

A small twitch of muscle from his opponent was the only sign Itachi needed to know that an attack was coming, and he braced himself to move.

Daisuke charged at him, and Itachi waited until he was close before he sidestepped the attack smoothly. In retaliation, he swung his katana in an arc, and Daisuke responded with a block. There was whine of metal scraping against metal as Daisuke forced both his kodachi against his katana in an attempt to push him back, locking the weapons together. When Daisuke's blades began to glow bright with chakra, Itachi sent a surge of his own chakra towards his own katana and thrust forward.

The blades separated with a loud clang, and both of them jumped back.

The barrier above them rumbled, drawing Itachi's attention briefly. Quickly, he refocused on his opponent, keeping his mind on the battle, lest he was taken unawares. However, he could see beyond Daisuke that there were a large number of fractures propagating over the dome barrier.

The barrier was about to collapse, he realized.

And right then, there was an intense flare of chakra. The very air around them shook with the unleashed energy and the ground rumbled under his feet.

Daisuke's eyes widened in disbelief as the shimmering barrier disappeared.

"Impossible…" he hissed.

Itachi took advantage of the diversion, quickly performing the necessary seals and released a fire jutsu.

Breaking out of his shock, Daisuke opponent reacted swiftly, streaking out of sight just before the fire jutsu connected with him. Irked, Itachi executed another jutsu. This time, two handfuls of flaming shuriken spun towards Daisuke.

The older Uchiha substituted himself, but Itachi already anticipated the move. A series of fireballs exploded outwards, catching Daisuke just as he reappeared some distance away. A harsh gasp escaped him as he was thrown against the nearest building.

Out of the periphery of his vision, Itachi could see masked ANBU squads streaming into the Uchiha compound. It reminded him eerily of the situation a decade ago when Madara had attacked Konoha, but this was certain not the time for reminiscence. He also saw a brief flash of Sasuke as his brother ran towards the compound gates, having disposed of his opponent. Sasuke was safe, he thought, relieved.

"This is not over, Itachi!" Daisuke snapped, panting harshly as he pushed away from the building.

Itachi did not grace him with an answer. Instead, he executed the seals for a water jutsu. This time, the jutsu, in the form of spinning drills, headed straight for the other Uchiha. Daisuke attempted a substitution, but he was too slow.

The attack hit Daisuke from both sides, knocking him off his feet.

Itachi watched Daisuke impassively as he closed the distance between them, secure in the knowledge that the battle was over. The older Uchiha was now down on his hands and knees, his entire body shaking with the effort to raise himself. It was clear that he could no longer fight.

Itachi knew that he would not kill Daisuke. Konoha needed the information in his head. Once he was by the older Uchiha's side, he stared down at Daisuke.

"You are greedy," he proclaimed evenly.

Daisuke looked up through his hair and hissed, "What do you know? You are a coward, and a betrayer to the Uchiha name. You could have stayed true to your words and remained loyal to our founder, but you chose outsiders instead."

"I do not, and will not follow the wishes of a madman."

"Madara is not mad!" Daisuke snarled viciously. "He knows what's best for the clan."

"And yet, the majority of the clan disagrees."

"They are cowards, like you."

"You are entitled to your own opinion, Daisuke-san," Itachi responded smoothly.

Before Daisuke could say another word, Itachi slammed the hilt of his katana to the side of his head, knocking him over. The older Uchiha grunted once, and then went limp.

Itachi knelt beside him and quickly checked his condition. The moment he was certain that Daisuke was safely unconscious and would remain so for a considerable period, he stood up and turned to two ANBU nearby.

"ANBU-san."

The two masked ANBU came to him quickly. "Uchiha-san?" one of them queried.

Itachi recognized the voice behind the mask. They had worked together before. Flicking his eyes to the limp body at his feet, Itachi instructed, "Bring him to the holding cells. Ensure that he is not left alone."

The two masked ANBU nodded and proceeded to carry out his orders. Daisuke was dragged between them, and then all three disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Itachi glanced around, noticing that the non-fighters were beginning to exit their houses warily, while the ANBU members began a cleanup operation, bringing the defeated enemy forces to the holding cells in the same manner as Daisuke.

Things were under control, allowing him to do what he had wanted to do since he had last seen her. Without further ado, he turned around and sped toward the compound gates.

When Itachi reached his destination, his steps faltered. Sakura was not there, for he could not make out any pink-haired figure in the crowd that had gathered there. Neither was Naruto nor Sasuke. He continued to scan the area until his eyes landed on the compound wall.

Itachi's heart began to beat harder, stronger, as trepidation set in. There were damp patches on the wall, as well as coagulated blood sprayed all over.

As he moved closer, he heard snatches of conversation.

"… barrier broke right here."

"The impact…"

"…not that surprising that she's in that state. The force was massive."

"Tsunade will take care of her."

His blood ran cold at the implication of what they were speaking of. There was only one person fighting there, and the blood... He was no stranger to blood, but the notion that this could be Sakura's blood was unacceptable. Was it hers? Or her opponents? How badly was she hurt?

He caught the attention of a pale-eyed Hyuuga kunoichi. Hinata, he believed she was called.

"Sakura. Where is she?"

The Hyuuga's bottom lip trembled slightly, sending a shot of alarm through him. And then she uttered the dreaded answer.

"I-Injured. S-She's in the h-hospital."

Itachi closed his eyes as he forced down a snarl. A part of him told him that all shinobi ran the risk of being injured, even to the point of death. It simply came with the job description. However, another part of him could not help but feel otherwise. If he had been there for her, this might not have happened. If he had not been torn between protecting Sasuke and her, this might not have happened. And most importantly, if he had not contracted her to undertake the charade in the first place, this might not have happened.

Regret coursing through him, Itachi performed a transportation jutsu to bring him to the hospital.

000

* * *

000

Sakura cracked her eyes open slowly, and her surroundings swam into view.

It was dark, and the only illumination in the room was a stream of moonlight entering through the gap in the curtains. She was in the hospital, she deduced as her fuzzy vision took in the medical equipments. Hardly surprising, she thought as the last moments of the battle came back to her. It was lucky that she was still alive, which was much more than she could say for her unfortunate opponent.

She sighed out loud. Suigetsu had sacrificed his life for no reason. She would not have killed him, but he did not know that, did he? He had assumed that she would finish him off.

She sighed.

"Sakura."

She jumped at the sound of the deep voice calling her name. Her head whipped to the side, catching sight of Itachi before the abrupt movement forced her eyes closed as she flinched in pain. She brought her hands to her head in an automatic reaction to soothe it.

"Do not move."

Eyes still closed, she made a small sound of protest as he peeled her hands off her head gently. "Let me heal-"

"No," he said firmly. "You were completely drained of chakra when they brought you in earlier."

"Hurts…"

"You were severely injured."

There was remorse in his tone. She frowned at the realization, but before she could mention it, he instructed, "Drink."

Something touched her lips, and her nose recognized the smell to know that it was a painkiller. Opening her mouth, she gulped down the thick liquid. It soothed her throat and the pain in her head lessened.

She took a steadying breath, and then opened her eyes. Itachi was seated at the edge of the hospital bed now, one hand holding on to her wrists while the other placed the medicine cup on the bedside table. The slight furrow between his brows betrayed his concern, and she felt herself melt at the sight.

"You're alright?" she asked, scanning his form and noticing his bandaged arm.

He nodded.

"Your arm-" she began, only to be cut off.

"Not important," he said dismissively. "What happened?" he asked instead, his eyes flicking over her injured body.

Something occurred to her then, and her eyes darted around the room worriedly, searching for some signs and finding nothing. "Where are Naruto and Sasuke? Are they alright?" she asked urgently.

"They are unharmed."

She let out a relieved breath.

"They just left a few hours ago, as well as Hatake." His watchful gaze never wavered. "What happened, Sakura?" he asked again.

She winced inwardly. "Suigetsu happened."

He raised a questioning brow.

She sighed. "I took out a few low level nins, and then he turned up. He had this weird jutsu, sort of turning himself liquid so that my attacks are useless. The battle was… not easy."

"He's dead now," Itachi intoned evenly.

She nodded. "I caught him unawares and incapacitated him. He thought I was going to kill him, so he decided to take me out with this suicide jutsu." She paused in recollection. "I thought I was drowning."

"They got to you in time."

"Who?"

"Hatake." A pause followed, and then he added, "He transported you here."

A fond smile lit up her face. "I've lost count of the number of times he saved my life. I owe him a lot."

"He… cares for you. He protects you."

Surprised at Itachi's words, she could only look at him in silence for a moment. And then she grinned. Was the mighty Uchiha jealous? She wanted to tease him about it, but finally decided not to. She might have been mistaken.

So she simply said, "We've been together for a long time. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke and I. They are practically family."

"Hm."

Itachi had this odd expression now, and she did not know what to make of it. So she decided on the safest thing; she reached out to place her palm on top of his hand, trapping it between her two hands. He tensed slightly at the touch, and then relaxed visibly.

"Come closer," she said softly, tugging his hand.

He did not move. Instead, there was a thoughtful expression on his face. Was he concerned that he would hurt her?

"Itachi?"

He finally relented, and shifted closer, allowing her to reach up to slide her hands around his neck to pull him down. She smiled when he lowered his head without resistance.

Their kiss was soft, and Sakura sighed at the fluttery sensation she always got when they kissed. Impatient for more contact, she tried to deepen the kiss, only to have Itachi draw away, his hands pulling hers away from his neck.

"You are injured."

"I know."

She took her hands back, and raised one to the side of his neck, caressing the slender column gently.

"You should rest." His voice was harsher now.

She grinned inwardly. "I know."

His eyes flickered, and then to her delight, he lowered himself to capture her lips in a thorough kiss. An appreciative moan left her as she tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him to her so that he could not escape so easily.

She could rest later.

000

* * *

000

Hyuuga Neji's face was set in a thunderous expression as he stalked through the hospital corridor.

He had just returned that morning after a week of a mind-blowingly stressful mission only to find parts of Konoha near the Uchiha compound horribly damaged, and conflicting information about what exactly had happened. He finally managed to put together enough of the gossips, rantings and distraught wailings to deduce that just yesterday, a large group of rogue nins had taken advantage of the distraction of the clan preparing for the engagement ceremony to attack the compound. They were apparently after a scroll of some sort.

And of course, Sakura had to be caught in the middle of it. It seemed that she had taken on an S-class missing-nin all by herself, and was currently bedridden as a result. Neji's lips tightened in displeasure as he made his way to Sakura's room.

The foolish woman.

That was Neji's first thought when he reached the hospital room. The door was ajar, so he could see the pink-haired kunoichi propped up in the bed. She looked pale, and there were bandages crisscrossing her head and her limbs, the evidence of her wounds. She looked as well as someone who had the nerve to take on someone who was obviously stronger than her.

His second thought was to turn around and return a while later, because Uchiha Itachi was standing by the bed, hovering over Sakura protectively. A little late, was it not? Sakura had already come to harm merely because she was engaged to him.

The Uchiha was clearly enamored of the kunoichi, though, Neji noted as he observed them through the gap in the doorway. They were speaking to each other in low tones, and Neji could see that Sakura had deep feelings for the Uchiha. The way they behaved reminded him of why things would never work out between himself and Sakura. He and Sakura would never share such looks because they had never truly been in love.

He had decided with his mind, not with his heart, when he had asked her out. And she had accepted for the same reason. They were both intelligent, skilled shinobi, and both of them were ambitious, career-minded. They had never run out of topics to discuss or debate during their dates. Granted, they had gotten along rather well, but theirs was never a true romance. He would have been happy to carry on that way if not for the fact that Sakura had brought the topic up one day. She had quoted that as the reason that they should discontinue their relationship, for one day, they might grow resentful of each other and lose their close friendship. He had balked at the notion, but she had been adamant. Eventually, he had relented and came to realize what she had been trying to tell him.

Suddenly, Neji found a pair of onyx eyes upon him, breaking his train of thought. Deciding that it was foolish to turn away now that his presence had been detected, he pushed the door open and walked in.

"Neji!" Sakura called out happily when she saw him.

"I heard about what happened," he said, walking to the side of her bed opposite the Uchiha. He inclined his head at the other man. "Uchiha."

"Hyuuga."

They stood there staring at each other silently. Neji could sense that the other shinobi was trying to discern his motives where it came to Sakura, but he refused to allow the Uchiha the satisfaction of knowing that his position was secure, even though the man was her fiancé. So he kept the eye contact, silently telling the other man that he was not going anywhere.

"Uh… Itachi?"

He saw the Uchiha's eyes flash with annoyance just a fraction of a second before he looked back down at Sakura, his eyes softening almost imperceptibly. Neji wanted to smirk at the state the other shinobi was in.

"Do you mind getting some books from my room in your house? I'd like something to pass time when no one's around."

Itachi nodded. "I will return later."

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving them alone. Uchiha Itachi must have known that it was simply an excuse Sakura came up with to defuse the tension, but the fact that he had assented to please Sakura made Neji realize that the Uchiha might deserve the pink-haired kunoichi after all.

He turned to her, but before he could open his mouth, she gave him a stern look. "That was childish, Neji."

"What was?" he returned blandly, feigning ignorance.

"The staring contest," she pointed out flatly.

His lips twitched, and then he shrugged. Eyeing her heavily bandaged form, he asked, "How bad is it?"

She chuckled. "My injuries, you mean?"

He nodded once.

"A few broken ribs, hairline fracture at the back of my skull, bruised forehead, sprained wrists…" She shrugged carelessly. "The usual."

He let out a heavy breath. "You should be more careful."

"Well, my opponent is in a worse state." She grimaced, looking somewhat regretful at the same time. "He's dead."

"You know what it's like, Sakura."

She exhaled loudly. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't make it any easier, though."

They sat there silently for a moment, Neji watching her as she went through her thoughts of the battle. She was no doubt wondering if there was anything she could do differently. He had seen her like this before, when she had killed. And she had killed, many times before, but only when it was unavoidable.

Deciding to break her sullen mood, he drew out a box and laid it on her lap.

She blinked down at it, and her lips stretched into a smile when she recognized the object. "Shogi?"

"Up for a game?" he asked, raising a brow.

She laughed. "Sure, why not?"

000

* * *

000

It was just past midday when Itachi walked out of the hospital for the second time that day, after he had dropped off the books for Sakura. He would have remained longer, but the Hokage wished to see him.

When he had returned to the hospital earlier, it was to the sight of Sakura and the Hyuuga arguing playfully over the result of their shogi game. The Hyuuga had won, and Sakura had accused him of distracting her. The pale-eyed shinobi had merely regarded the complaining kunoichi with obvious affection. The one-sided argument had ground to a halt the moment they noticed his presence.

Itachi frowned at the recollection. They were obviously close and the realization of that fact did not sit well with Itachi. It did not escape his notice that Sakura was very attached to those she considered friends and she tended to give everything to them, and that included the Hyuuga. Whilst he knew that it was unwise to attempt to curb Sakura's association with the Hyuuga, part of him felt as if he had the right to do so.

But he did not, did he?

They had not spoken of what would become of their relationship after the mission, but Itachi knew for some time now that he wanted her close to him. In fact, the notion of making their relationship real had been playing in his mind for weeks. His interaction with Sakura over the course of the mission was enough to convince him that they could pursue a relationship successfully.

Perhaps it was time he did something about it.

Still, there was no rush. Since Sakura was still bedridden, this was hardly the appropriate time to put forth such a proposal. It was best to wait until Sakura was discharged from the hospital. That should be soon, for she had been in that hospital bed for the past three days now.

Mind made up, Itachi felt his steps lighten as he continued his journey to the Hokage tower, taking to the rooftops to expedite his travel.

It was not long before the sound of two familiar voices caused his steps to slow.

Curious, Itachi paused in his tracks and peered down over the edge of the roof to see his brother and his blonde teammate quarrelling further down on the streets. He was about to leave them to their privacy when Naruto choked out Sakura's name in a manner that made Itachi reassess his decision.

At Sasuke's harsh rebuke, Naruto lowered his voice. He could not make out what they were saying, and that unsettled him. Deciding that that would not do, Itachi scanned the surroundings to determine that he was not being watched before he lowered himself stealthily down to the balcony above the two younger shinobi.

"Did you tell Sakura in the end?" Naruto hissed.

"No. I didn't."

Itachi's brows furrowed. He had observed Naruto and Sasuke often enough to deduce that this argument was more serious than their usual ones. Naruto seemed genuinely annoyed and there was disbelief in his tone, while Sasuke was clearly flustered and defensive.

"What the hell are you thinking, Teme?" Naruto cried out. "This is Sakura we're talking about here."

"I know." Sasuke's tone was dark and brooding.

In an incredulous tone, Naruto retorted, "You know, and you can still THINK of her like THAT?"

"She confessed first."

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise. Sakura confessed? Confessed what?

"Shit, that was back when we were twelve! She told you she loved you back when we were twelve. TWELVE, Teme! That's history! Besides, you rejected her, remember? Broke her heart back then. She cried for weeks, you bastard! So why the hell are you bringing this up now?"

Silence was Sasuke's only response.

Itachi found himself frozen to the spot, the implication of the two younger shinobi's words ringing in his head. His suspicion that there might be something going on in Sasuke's head with regards to Sakura might have some merit, after all. And the thought sent chills of dread up his spine.

"Neh, Sasuke. What are you going to do?" Naruto asked wearily, rubbing his forehead.

"I don't know," Sasuke snapped irritably. "That's why we're talking about this, isn't it?"

Itachi closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. Sasuke did not know what he wanted with Sakura. This was typical. But the fact that his younger brother was even bringing this question out in the open revealed that Sasuke had been mulling this over for some time. It would seem that he was serious about Sakura.

Sasuke's hostile reaction to his and Sakura's supposed relationship made sense now, Itachi thought, with a heavy sinking sensation in his chest.

Naruto groaned. "What do you mean you don't know? She had the guts to say she loves you back then. Don't tell me you don't even have the balls to admit whether or not you have feelings for her." The blonde sounded distraught. In a rougher voice, he continued, "Look, Teme, I just don't want whatever this is to mess up our team dynamics, alright? The first time was bad enough, but we were young then. This time, things wouldn't be so simple."

Sasuke remained silent.

"So sort yourself out."

Sasuke sighed heavily. "Just… don't say anything to her?"

"You think I'm an idiot?" Naruto cried out, clearly offended. "I don't want her to punt me across Konoha, not that this has anything to do with me. I'll leave it to you to talk to her."

Sasuke frowned at the ground thoughtfully. And then, with a heavy sigh, he jerked his head towards the training grounds. "Up for a spar?"

"Yeah. Why not."

And the two of them walked off side by side, both wearing troubled expressions.

Itachi did not know how long he stood on the balcony, running the conversation through his mind over and over again. Regardless of from which angle he considered it, the gist of the conversation remained the same.

Sakura had declared her love for him in the past, only to be rejected. And now that he was older, Sasuke was rethinking his decision.

Something heavy settled in the pit of Itachi's stomach.

The conversation he had just heard changed things.

How should he proceed now?

000

* * *

000

Sakura was floating between the land of wakefulness and slumber when she sensed the approach of her teammates from the hospital corridor. All at once, she was wide awake. There was the sound of hushed arguing outside, punctuated by Naruto's unmistakable growls.

What were they up to now?

Sakura propped herself up on an elbow when the door to her room opened to reveal her two very disheveled teammates. Naruto seemed annoyed, which was alarming, in itself, while Sasuke was obviously grumpy. From their appearance, it was clear that they had been sparring. Or fighting. The same difference, she thought with exasperation.

"What happened?" she asked cautiously, pushing herself up to a sitting position.

Naruto gave Sasuke a shove forward. "Teme has something to say to you."

Sakura's brows rose. This latest fight of theirs had something to do with her? Now that was odd.

"What is it?" she asked, sitting up straighter.

Naruto looked alarmed. "Lie back down, Sakura-chan!"

She rolled her eyes. "I've been doing that for a while now. And I'm a medic, remember. I'd know if it's okay for me to sit up."

"But-"

She waved him into silence and then turned to the moody-looking Sasuke. "Sasuke? What's going on?"

Sasuke simply stood there silently, glaring down at the floor. Fearing the worst, the tension rose as a feeling of trepidation inched its way into Sakura's stomach. Whatever this was, it must be quite bad.

"Just spit it out!" Naruto snapped impatiently.

Sasuke shot a glare at him, and then took a deep breath. "Remember what I said a while back…" he paused.

Sakura blinked. Now that was cryptic. Slowly, she pressed, "You said lots of things, Sasuke. What exactly are you talking about?"

He scowled at her. "I'm getting to it," he hissed, irritated.

"Okay…" She crossed her arms over her chest, a little put out by his attitude. What was his problem?

After a long, thoughtful pause, he continued, "That one time… I gave you the impression that I want us to… date. And you said you didn't want to talk about it until after this mission."

Her eyes widened in recollection. No, no, no! Not this. She knew that the mission was over but she really did not want to talk about this.

"Oh," was the only thing she managed to utter in response to his declaration.

Well, this was awkward. How was she supposed to tell Sasuke that she did not consider him that way anymore without hurting his feelings? How serious was he about this anyway? And what if he asked why? It did not have anything to do with what she felt for Itachi, but she knew that her attachment to Itachi made a difference. If she had not fallen for Itachi, she might have given Sasuke some consideration.

"Ah, Sasuke…" she ventured uncertainly.

"Wait," he snapped irritably. "Let me finish."

"Then hurry the hell up, Teme! How long is it going to take you?" Naruto interrupted loudly, looking annoyed.

Sakura rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming. This is bizarre. Disturbing. And it had the potential to rip Team Kakashi apart. She was not sure she wanted this conversation to continue.

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Just forget what I said that day, alright?"

Her eyes snapped towards him. "Huh?"

Sasuke remained stubbornly mute.

Naruto finally let out a snarl of exasperation. "You're useless!" He turned to her. "Teme_ thought_ he had _THAT _sort of feelings for you. But he actually doesn't. Can you believe the idiot? And he didn't know how to fix it because he opened his big fat mouth that few weeks ago and-"

"Shut up, Dobe!" Sasuke snarled, his cheeks reddening slightly.

Feeling very bewildered, Sakura glanced back and forth between them. Naruto looked annoyed and impatient, while Sasuke looked annoyed and embarrassed. Naruto was glaring at Sasuke, while Sasuke was glaring at his toes.

So, she was worrying for no reason then?

After a minute of silence, Naruto burst out again. "I can't believe you risk our team dynamics for something you're not even sure of, you bastard!"

Sasuke's lips thinned while Sakura winced at the blonde's volume. Yeah, Naruto was right. When it came to things like this about their team, he was unusually perceptive. If Sasuke had pursued her, their team dynamics would most likely suffer, whether or not she was receptive of his advances. Well, it was a good thing then that Sasuke didn't really feel that way for her, because it would be really awkward.

Relief suddenly flooded her at the realization that the team was still safe and intact.

Suddenly it hit her that they were really arguing about nothing. Amused by the situation now, her lips twitched.

"Guys…" she began.

Both of them looked at her with wide eyes.

"What are we arguing about?" she asked. "There's no harm done, right? It's just a misunderstanding… somewhat."

Naruto blinked slowly, and then grinned. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Sakura-chan."

"Hm."

"So, that's all you came to say?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah," Naruto muttered.

Men, she thought, rolling her eyes.

Still, she would not trade these two for anyone else, she thought as she watched them settling in the room, ready to keep her company that evening. They were family, and she loved them unconditionally, even though they could be infuriating at times.

000

* * *

000

Late that night, Itachi found himself standing at the top of the Hokage mountain, where it was deserted bar his own presence.

Ever since this afternoon, when he had overheard the conversation between his brother and his teammate, he had thought of nothing except the situation between him, Sakura and Sasuke. This was by far one of the most perplexing situations he had found himself in, in recent times. He simply was not certain what would be the best course of action.

He was aware of Sasuke's displeasure when it came to his relationship with Sakura. However, Itachi had not realized that his brother actually had romantic intents towards Sakura, therefore, he had simply proceeded with his own agenda. He had assumed that Sasuke could handle the discomfort of seeing them together.

Itachi sat down on a damp bench, resting his elbows on his knees as he continued to stare out into the night sky over Konoha.

Making Sasuke uncomfortable because his teammate was being courted by his own brother was one issue. Hurting Sasuke because the woman he loved was with his own brother was another matter altogether. Considering that Sasuke had never expressed any interest in other women, Itachi had to assume that his feelings for Sakura were deep, especially since they had been teammates for so long. His relationship with Sasuke might never survive if he made this relationship with Sakura real. Was he ready to give up his brother for Sakura? Was he ready to hurt Sasuke in that manner?

However, there was more than the issue of Sasuke to consider, was there not? Sakura was clearly closer to her teammates than she was to him, which made him wonder if what she felt for him was merely a short-term infatuation. Furthermore, for a woman who spoke a lot, she had been oddly restrained when it came to this topic. Sakura had never once brought up the possibility of their relationship continuing beyond the mission. That brought into question her feelings for him.

Sasuke's conversation with Naruto also brought to light something else that Itachi had not known about the pink-haired kunoichi. Until now, he loathed to consider that Sakura had once declared her love for his brother. She had been only twelve then, so just how serious was her feelings? Did she still harbor the same feelings for Sasuke now? What if Sasuke had not foolishly rejected her back then?

And then there was the likelihood that Sakura had simply transferred the attraction to him because there were certain similarities between him and Sasuke. The notion made his stomach turn, but he could not discard the possibility.

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes, feeling rather weary all of a sudden. Whilst he was uncertain of Sakura's feelings, his own was more than clear to him. Even though he had little experience in such matters, he understood himself well enough to know that he felt more for her than what he could envisage feeling for any woman. He could very well be in love with her, if such a thing was even feasible.

So where did that leave them?

Itachi frowned as he considered his options.

He could continue as he was, courting Sakura with the intention of making their engagement real. This would please him, and hopefully, Sakura. However, he did not know if Sakura was willing to be a part of the Uchiha clan. The rumors about how the relationship between herself and the Hyuuga had ended did not bode well for the notion. She could be viewing what they had as a casual relationship that would not end with her permanently residing in the Uchiha compound.

And that was his first option. However, if he proceeded in that manner, then Sasuke would be inevitably hurt. He would be risking his relationship with Sasuke.

On the other end of the spectrum, he could proceed as if nothing of the past few weeks were real, not the kisses, the intimate looks… nothing. And follow through by ending their so-called relationship. In the unlikely event that Sakura felt for him the way he felt for her, she would be hurt by it. But if she was not, then, by withdrawing his interest in Sakura, it allowed both Sasuke and Sakura the opportunity to be together.

Itachi leaned back against the bench, turmoil coursing through him as he weighed his options.

He had to come to a decision, and soon.

000

* * *

000

Finally, Sakura thought. It was about time. Shizune had finally pronounced her fit to be discharged a quarter of an hour ago, and Sakura could not wait to get out of there.

Standing up in the clean clothes someone had left by the bed this morning, she glanced around the hospital room she had stayed in for the past week. This prolonged stay of hers also meant that her ANBU examination had been postponed for another week, as a result of the direct order from the Hokage. Naruto and Sasuke had been more worried for her than the exams, a fact that warmed her from top to toe.

A knock sounded on the door, and she turned just in time to see Sasuke and Naruto enter. Happiness and confusion warred within her. The person she had expected to see was not there to greet her. In fact, she had not seen Uchiha Itachi for the past few days, which made her wonder if he was alright. It was not like him to simply disappear without a word, especially ever since they had gotten closer over the last month.

"I got your packs from my house, so that you can rest at home." Sasuke muttered, holding up the two backpacks containing her belongings. "I was going to gather your things, but someone already did it."

She blinked in surprise. Who packed her things? Was it Itachi? It seemed strange that he wanted her out so soon, she thought with a pang of hurt. They had not even spoken about what they should do next about… them.

"Okay. Thanks, Sasuke," she reached for her backpack.

"What are you doing, Sakura-chan?" Naruto cried out, alarmed. "We'll carry them for you."

"You just recovered," Sasuke pointed out irritably.

"Yeah, you shouldn't carry heavy stuff!" Naruto added adamantly.

She did not have the energy to argue. Besides, they were right.

At least Naruto and Sasuke were here, she thought as they walked out of the hospital with her. Naruto was chattering non-stop about Hinata, and Sakura could not help but smile at her blonde teammate's obvious adoration of the Hyuuga kunoichi. They were very lucky to have each other, and Sakura was sure that this was one relationship that would work out, despite the disapproval of the clan elders. If anyone could change their stubborn minds, it would be Naruto.

"Sakura?"

She blinked at the sound of her name, slowly turning to see both her teammates looking at her anxiously. Well, Naruto looked anxious, while Sasuke was just peering at her intently, something which she knew was his version of being concerned.

"We're at your apartment."

She glanced up. "Oh."

Yes, they had arrived. She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she had not noticed. Digging her hand into her pocket, she pulled out her keys and walked into the building, climbing up the stairs to her apartment. Once at her door, she quickly unlocked it and walked in.

She stopped after a few steps, staring at her surroundings. After a whole month of not staying there, there was a thin film of dust over everything. But that did not really bother her. She simply had to clean the place, that was all.

What concerned her more was the fact that she felt a little distant from this place. And she knew why. She had come to accept the Uchiha place as a home over the past month, complete with Itachi's and Sasuke's presence, as well as their parents. Now, this little apartment of hers seemed a little… lonely.

Well, someone wanted her out of that house bad enough to pack for her. Besides, she should not be even thinking that way because she was only there on a mission and nothing else, right? She wondered what Fugaku and Mikoto made of her absence. And what about the thing between her and Itachi? What would happen now that the mission was over? She could not even talk to him about it because he was away on a mission right now for goodness knew how long.

"Neh, Sakura, do you think you'd be okay alone here?" Naruto asked, a frown of concern marring his brows. "I could stay here tonight to-"

"It's okay, Naruto. I'll be fine," she interjected quickly. She just needed to be alone tonight, to sort out her apartment and more importantly, her thoughts. Particularly about Itachi and his absence.

Turning to Sasuke, Naruto yelled, "Teme, go check that she has food in the kitchen."

Sasuke scowled at his blonde teammate, making Sakura chuckle, but he went to the kitchen anyway. She could hear the cupboard doors opening and closing, but she ignored them in favor of getting clean beddings out of the chest at the corner of her room. Picking out a brown set, she shook the folded sheets open.

Naruto looked horrified. "What are you doing, Sakura! Let me do that!"

"I'm not an invalid!" she protested.

He simply snatched the sheets from her and proceeded to do up her bed rather messily while Sakura watched him fondly.

"We'll get you some supplies," Sasuke said as he walked out of her kitchen and into her room. "You don't have anything in there."

Sakura's lips quirked. "Well, I haven't been back for almost a month." And then, a little hesitantly, she ventured, "Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Where is Itachi?"

Sasuke tensed, and then met her gaze slowly. "I don't know."

Her brows furrowed. "He hasn't been home?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I think he's on a mission."

"Strange," she murmured.

She had thought that they were close enough that he would at least tell her that he wouldn't be around. The whole situation seemed a little… off. There was something else at play here and she could not quite put her finger on it, but she had a bad feeling about it.

"All done, Sakura-chan!" Naruto declared, gesturing at her bed rather proudly.

Sakura smiled widely, without actually looking at the bed. "Thank you, Naruto." She stepped towards him and enveloped him in a hug. "You're the best!"

Sasuke stood next to them looking positively awkward, she thought with an inward grin before she reached out with one hand to pull him in as well.

"And you too, Sasuke," she added as she forced the two guys into a group hug.

His arms held stiffly by his side even though she was squishing his body against her and Naruto, Sasuke grunted and then muttered darkly, "I'm not hugging the Dobe."

"And who wants to hug you, Teme?" Naruto shot back.

"Oh, stop whining, the two of you," Sakura grumbled. "You're spoiling the mood."

And the two of them grudgingly relaxed into the hug. Sakura sighed, savoring their shared warmth. They had shared so many other things over the years, and she knew that had brought them closer together.

She really loved her team and she hoped that they never ever separate. With their support, she could deal with everything else.

Like Itachi.

000

* * *

000

Two more days had passed since her discharge from the hospital, and Sakura was more than ready to return to training. In fact, she was a little worried that she would not have enough time to prepare for the ANBU examinations. They had only five days left, she thought with no small amount of trepidation.

"Stop worrying, Sakura."

Her head snapped up to her right to see Kakashi peering at her with one visible eye. Like her, he was seated on the stool in front of the Ichiraku Ramen counter. She let out a long breath before she spoke.

"Five days, that's all, sensei."

"You've trained enough before your injury. These few days won't make much of a difference."

"You should have allowed me back two days ago!"

"But Sakura-chan, you needed to rest!" Naruto piped up from her left. "Don't worry. We'll kick their asses during the exams."

"Hm," Sasuke agreed from Kakashi's right.

Sakura swallowed the last of her ramen and placed her chopsticks on the rim of her bowl. "There are more of them than us, I'm sure. And it will be set up so that we're at a disadvantage. Also, I doubt these guys would hold back like Kakashi's ANBU friends did."

"Ah, yes." Kakashi looked thoughtful. "You might want to make sure Sakura keeps enough chakra to heal the injuries."

"We'll make sure Sakura's safe!" Naruto vowed.

"Hm."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare coddle me, you two! This is my ANBU exam too." She cracked her knuckles. "And if I fail because you refuse to let me do my part, I'll make sure the two of you couldn't move for a month!"

Naruto paled, while Sasuke simply grunted.

"Now, now… No need for violence, Sakura," Kakashi cajoled lightly, chuckling as he did so. "You see-"

Kakashi broke off suddenly, and then glanced over his shoulders. Sakura immediately felt a pinprick of awareness.

Itachi!

Her entire body tensed at the realization that Itachi was back, and she spun around so quickly that she almost fell off her stool.

And then she saw him.

Uchiha Itachi was striding towards them, his face set in its usual impassive mask. It was obvious that he had just returned from a mission, judging from his less than pristine ANBU uniform.

And then he was standing right in front of her.

"Itachi?" she greeted a little uncertainly, getting off her stool.

Itachi nodded at her silent, but curious teammates before turning his attention to her. He looked down at her, his eyes flickering slightly with an indiscernible emotion. It made her nervous.

"Come with me."

She glanced back at her teammates, wondering if they would mind if she just left with Itachi. They seemed rather hesitant, and strangely she felt the same as them. Although she wanted to be alone with Itachi, the feeling of unease was still there.

Kakashi suddenly stood up and stretched. "Well, that was a good lunch. Training tomorrow morning at the same time and place?" he asked.

"Sure, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied enthusiastically. "Tomorrow then."

With a wave, her blonde teammate was gone, dragging Sasuke along with him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sensei," Sakura mumbled distractedly.

And then Kakashi turned his attention to Itachi. To Sakura's surprise, there is a hard glint in his eye as he spoke. "Make sure you leave her in one piece, won't you, Uchiha-san?"

Sakura frowned inwardly, wondering what her sensei was up to. It sounded almost like a warning, but Itachi simply nodded curtly.

Kakashi lifted a hand at her, the corner of his eye crinkling. And then, in a cloud of smoke, he disappeared from sight, leaving her to stare questioningly at an expressionless Itachi. Clearly, something was going on from that look of his. He had not worn the mask that shielded his emotions from others in front of her for a long time now.

"Itachi?" she prompted cautiously.

"Follow me."

His tone was bland and impersonal, making her increasingly uncomfortable. Quietly, she followed him as he led her to the nearby park. It did not escape her notice that not once did he attempt to touch her. The absence of the simple contact was glaringly obvious. And the sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach told her that things were about to get worse.

Once they were far enough away from others to ensure no eavesdroppers, Itachi stopped and turned to face her.

A little confused, and a little scared, she asked, "What's wrong, Itachi?"

His eyes bored into hers intensely for a few seconds, as if he was memorizing her features. Even as he shook his head at her question, Sakura knew that something was about to happen. Something she did not like.

Her heart squeezed in her chest when she realized what it could be. Pain coursed through her even as she fought to keep her expression impassive. It would not do to let him know how she felt. Besides, she did not know if her suspicions were correct.

"We should… separate."

His words hit her like an impact of a boulder against her stomach, and yet, her only outward reaction was to blink at him. A deadly cold feeling began to spread over her, reaching out to her extremities, making her feel almost numb.

"I see." Astoundingly, she managed to dredge up a smile. "Guess there's no use for the charade, now, huh?"

"The mission is over."

She waited for him to say something else.

She watched him silently, her heart thudding hard within her ribcage while her throat grew tighter as the seconds passed. Pathetically, she waited for him to tell her that what they had, whatever nameless thing they had, was not over. She thought what they had was real, that it would lead to something more in the future. But that was not the case, apparently.

Then he finally spoke, in his usual quiet but firm voice, "There is a need to… fabricate a break-up."

"Of course."

She felt deadened at the confirmation of her fears. Inside, she thought she could feel something crack, but she knew that such a thing was not possible. The medic in her told her that what she was feeling was more psychological than physical. Hearts did not break for things like this, or she'd be dead by now.

Feigning a casualness she did not feel, she said, "We need a story then."

He nodded once.

She searched his expression but was not able to read anything. If he felt anything, he was not planning on showing it. What was she looking for anyway? Whatever it was, it could not be anything positive. After all, he had decided to break it off although there was always an option to make it real.

Unless the last few weeks was not real for him. Unless to him, it had some sort of act taken too far and he had returned to his senses when the mission was over. She could not understand it. The whole situation just did not seem right. And she could not believe it was happening.

But it was. And she had to deal with it.

Like an adult.

Like a kunoichi.

Sakura took a deep breath, willing the hot pricks behind her eyes to go away. It would not do to break down now. All she needed was for this conversation to end soon. Very soon.

In an even voice, she said, "I guess we could use what we discussed a long time ago. That's for the best, I think."

He gave her a questioning look.

"That I couldn't really handle the idea of being an Uchiha wife? That living in the Uchiha compound for the past few weeks made me realize that it wouldn't work?" she supplied flatly, shrugging. "The foundation of that idea was already set when I broke up with Neji. So it shouldn't be unbelievable at all." She cracked a smile. "So, who'll break the news to Konoha?"

"I will ensure that it is circulated."

Relieved that she did not have to, she nodded. "Thanks. I guess you don't need me to say anything to your parents?"

"That would not be necessary. I have spoken to them about it before I left for the mission."

She frowned, surprised and hurt at his words. So he had decided to end this a while ago, then. It answered the question of who had packed her bags. But if he told his parents, that meant that…

"The confidentiality clause-" she began.

He interjected smoothly. "My parents are discreet."

"Oh. Okay," she mumbled, staring down at her feet.

Then an awkward silence befell them. How did one exit something like this gracefully? The whole situation still seemed rather surreal, but it did not make it hurt any less.

And she really could not stand being there anymore. The tension and her need to scream and punch something were far too strong.

"Well, it's been great working with you, as always," Sakura said brightly. Striving for normalcy, she went on, "We'll see each other around, I guess."

"Perhaps on missions."

Ah, the missions. She grimaced inwardly at the thought before she said, "It's supposed to be confidential, but Kakashi is going back on the active ANBU roster if we make it, so the four of us will form a squad." She forced out a grin. "I guess you'd need to find another medic."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes, something Sakura could not quite identify since he turned away from her to stare up at the Hokage Mountains. She wondered if he was disappointed that she would not be at his beck and call anymore.

Well, tough, she thought bitterly. Even if she was not in ANBU with Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke, she knew that there was no way she would be willing to subject herself to his company after this.

It was too painful.

Right now, her heart felt as if it was shattered into tiny little pieces, and she wondered if the tight feeling at the base of her throat would ever disappear. And the way her eyes pricked warned her that she had better rein in her emotions before her tears fell. It hurt so badly that she did not think it was possible.

She had thought that what they had was something real, but apparently, she had been wrong. She had thought that he was interested in her, but clearly, she had been wrong. She guessed this was why they always said not to let emotions get in the way of a mission. It was not only important during the course of the mission, but from the looks of the predicament she was in now, after the missions as well.

"Another medic," Itachi murmured, bringing her attention back to him.

She nodded, his words bringing her attention back to their conversation. "Ino is quite good. You know, Yamana-"

"Yes," he cut her short. "I know who she is."

"Well, she's good," Sakura insisted, not knowing why she even bothered. It was not as if Itachi was incapable of finding a suitable ANBU for his squad, permanent or not.

All she wanted was to run away from the conversation.

"I'll consider it," he intoned evenly.

The urge to escape was mounting. She licked her lips, fighting not to fidget. "Well, I'd better go back home. Need to rest."

"Hm."

Without another word, she spun around and walked away. She felt his stare against her back acutely and that only served to increase her urge to run. The heated prickle behind her eyelids intensified as she forced her steps to remain casual.

Somehow, she managed to find her way back home to her apartment. The two backpacks stared at her, reminding her that she had not actually unpacked yet, but she ignored it. She just wanted to go to bed, and perhaps, not leave for the next one week.

A shuddering breath left her when she sat down on her bed.

By then, the tears seemed suspended permanently behind her eyelids. She could not cry. She could only gasp, her chest heaving with the unreleased pressure. Bringing a fist to her mouth, she bit on her knuckles to silence the sound of her dry sobs, squeezing her eyes shut. Hopelessness crashed over her like a tidal wave.

Too late, Sakura realized that somehow, somewhere, she might have made the big mistake of falling in love with Uchiha Itachi.

000

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000

A/N: (Winces) I can almost hear the gasps of dismay and protests out there. Good news is, there's only one more chapter to go. Please review if you could. Thank you!

:elle6778:


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: YES! This is the final chapter of this story. Can you just HEAR how happy I am? I thank all of you for following this story, and to those who had reviewed, thank you for all the encouragement and support. Big glomps to all! And without further ado, here's the conclusion of this story...

* * *

**The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 17**

Sakura stood in her shishou's office, flanked by Naruto and Sasuke. She could feel Kakashi's solid form behind her, flush against her back in the crowded room. Tsunade was standing in front, behind her desk, as she spoke about the performance of the ANBU as a whole that year. Sakura was only listening with half an ear. It was hard to pay attention when Tsunade herself sounded bored.

"… treaty between Suna and ourselves. The new proposal to collaborate…"

Apparently, this was a formality that took place annually, not that she knew about it before, of course. After all, she had just made ANBU three months ago together with Naruto and Sasuke. The examination had been grueling, and they had barely made it. The damned thing had been a bewildering mix of genjutsu and reality, and it had been almost impossible to distinguish the two. They had fought with all their strength, of course. Team Kakashi never gave up.

In the end, they had made it, even though Naruto had to be carried out on Sasuke's back and she had remained conscious from sheer pig-headedness until they exited the examination grounds. Only then did she collapse in a heap of exhaustion.

"… the shared resources of the two villages meant an increase in efficiency in the border…"

As Tsunade's speech continued, Sakura thought back to what happened next. Her body exhausted and chakra-drained, she had not woken until four days later, while Naruto had remained unconscious in the hospital for two days. The only one who had escaped the thing without a prolonged stay at the hospital was Sasuke, who had used his Sharingan to its full capacity during the genjutsu phases.

Kakashi had put in the paperwork to reactivate his ANBU status shortly afterwards, and a month after the examination, the four of them had formed a new ANBU squad. Just as planned.

She was happy.

The thought made her inhale slowly.

She was happy, she reiterated stubbornly, refusing to look to her left. It was bad enough that out of the periphery of her vision, she could see a familiar mask covering the face of a familiar dark-haired ANBU.

Uchiha Itachi.

For the past three months, after that painful conversation they had shared, she had seen him less than a handful of times. Each time, it was from across a safe distance. Thankfully, in all those times, Itachi had appeared to be in a rush to go somewhere else. That helped, because she really had no intention of talking to him. She had no intention of staring into those dark eyes, remembering things that was better left buried deep in the recesses of her mind. Things like the confusion, the shattering pain she had felt, or the constriction in her throat that had eventually given way to the flood of tears, or the blinding anger she had felt once the tears had stopped.

"… and the number of successful missions this year means that we have enough funds…"

She could admit that she had not managed to get over him. She had not even tried, because she knew that it would be useless. In time, things would seem better. Yes, because time healed everything, right?

Thankfully, at her lowest point, the pressure of the ANBU examination had given her something else to focus on than her heartbreak. And by the time the examination had finished and she had been discharged from the hospital, two weeks had passed and the numbness had set in… somewhat.

People had tip-toed cautiously around her after the news of the separation had spread, but luckily, her three teammates barely mentioned it, as they thought that it was just a part of the mission. No one knew the whole truth.

Well, actually one person did know, she amended.

Sakura darted a quick glance at the Hyuuga in question, who was standing with his own team at the far right hand side of the room. She had caved one day and cried, and Neji had stumbled upon her, promptly demanding to know what had happened. He had been adamant, and she had finally given in. But he had been made to promise not to say a word to Itachi. She knew she could trust Neji. He was hardly the type to gossip.

So, apart from Neji, no one knew the truth. It made it easier to push the entire debacle to the back of her mind.

That was what she had been doing ever since; pushing Uchiha Itachi and their time together into this dark little compartment in her mind, away from everyday thoughts. And the less she saw of him, the more effective method was.

This meeting today was the closest they had been in three months. The meeting was unavoidable, but it only occurred once a year, so she could handle it. After this, she would walk out of the door and forget she ever saw Itachi in here.

Yes, she really should not dredge it up again. Eventually, she would forget, or maybe get over it naturally. Right? Then this hollow feeling inside her would be gone.

Unable to help herself, she darted a surreptitious glance at his static figure. He was so still that he could almost pass as a statue. Something painful squeezed within her as she studied him, almost wishing that he did not have his mask on so that he could see him. Or stand closer so that she could feel the warmth of his body. Another part of her, however, wanted to tear him from limb to limb because he had led her to believe that what they had was real.

Pathetic, that was what she was. Uchiha Itachi did not want her, that was clear enough. The explanation was simple, once she had thought about it. He was a man, and she had been a convenient body during the mission, that was all. He felt nothing for her. She had seen something where there was nothing, and now she was paying the price for her idiocy.

Gritting her teeth, she forced her eyes away from Uchiha Itachi. Her ANBU activities had kept most of her attention away from the pain and bewilderment of Itachi rejection, but sometimes, she found herself sinking into these sorts of emotionally contemplative phases. She had learnt over the last couple of months that the only way to make it better was to keep herself busy, doing whatever she could lay her hands on.

A sharp elbow digging into her side jolted her rudely out of her thoughts, and Sakura whipped her head around to see Naruto's mask turned towards her. His body was coiled tightly with excitement, strangely enough.

"Hear that, Sakura-chan?! A bonus! Baa-chan is giving us a bonus!"

She blinked. They were getting a bonus? Her eyes flicked to her shishou. What else had she missed?

Tsunade continued, "Of course this bonus relates to the number of missions you've completed this year."

"What?! We've only done three," he whined from behind the mask. "Baa-chan should have sent us out on more missions."

Having heard his complaint from across the room, Tsunade paused in her words, pinning a glare on the oblivious blonde ANBU. The rest of the room stilled, all still facing front but obviously waiting for an explosion from either the Hokage or Naruto. Sakura stifled the urge to groan.

"Sakura, shut him up," Sasuke muttered from her other side.

Sakura rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she dutifully turned to Naruto. Before she could open her mouth, however, Kakashi reached forward to smack the back of Naruto's head, causing the blonde to sputter indignantly.

"Quiet, Naruto," Kakashi muttered under his breath. "Don't make a scene."

"But-"

She reached out and clamped her steely fingers around his wrist. "Naruto…" she ground out in warning. "Don't say another word."

Naruto tensed, and then slumped in resignation.

Sakura sighed in relief when Tsunade removed her eyes from them and continued to speak. She really did not feel like putting Naruto back together, should her shishou decide to physically teach her blonde teammate a lesson in protocol.

The briefing soon ended, and murmurs of conversation commenced as the ANBU operatives made their way out of the room. She took her mask off, following the example of her teammates. Today, it had been donned for the sake of formality only.

"Let's go," she said, tugging at Naruto, who looked as if he wanted to go to Tsunade. No doubt to plead his case about the bonus. "Ramen, Naruto. It's lunchtime."

She immediately got his attention.

"Good idea, Sakura-chan. I'm starving!" he exclaimed, pushing past her in his hurry to reach the door.

Her lips quirked at his predictability as she followed him out of the Hokage's office. Sometimes she wondered if Naruto was just humoring them whenever it came to ramen, or was he really that obsessed with the fast food.

"Shouldn't encourage him," Sasuke muttered beside her.

She shrugged, grinning, eliciting a quiet grunt from her dark-haired teammate. The four of them descended the stairs, walking toward the main exit.

Then her steps halted abruptly, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of three familiar figures there.

Itachi and his squad was standing by the door, discussing something. She would have to pass right next to him if she wanted to get out of that door, something she really did not want to do. It would bring them uncomfortably close. Could they not go elsewhere to discuss whatever it was they had to discuss? Why block the exit?

But knowing that she had no choice but go out of that door, she held her head high and commanded her feet to move.

"Sakura?"

She looked over her shoulder at Kakashi. "What?"

"You're blocking the way. Move."

"Moving, Kakashi."

Her feet finally obeyed her command, and she strode towards the door, fully intending to make a quick exit. Eyes away from the Uchiha squad. Away… away… She could pretend she did not see them, as ridiculous as the idea was. The door was closer now. She was almost there.

Luck, however, was not on her side.

A familiar voice called out enthusiastically, "Sakura! Over here!"

Groaning inwardly, Sakura turned to Genma, whose mask was hanging under his chin, smiling widely at her. She knew the smile she returned was weak at best, but that was all she could do in the circumstances.

"Aren't you going over there to say hello, Sakura?" Kakashi nudged.

Naruto grinned. "So long as you're not joining that squad."

"As if I will, Naruto," she growled.

"Just hurry up," Sasuke muttered.

"Come over here, Sakura!" Genma called out.

Resigned to the fact that there was no escaping the inevitable, she went up to the trio, aware that her teammates did not follow her.

"Kakashi? Sasuke?" she called out.

Kakashi waved over his shoulder. "See you outside."

All on her own, then. She inhaled deeply to fortify herself. It had been three months, so by now, she should be strong enough to face him, right? Her legs definitely did not feel strong when they brought her closer to the ANBU trio. She carefully kept her eyes averted from one particular masked face. The professional front must be kept intact, she reminded herself.

"Sakura," Genma called out fondly, flinging an arm over her shoulders. "I didn't know you made it into ANBU. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Genma. I've only been an ANBU for a few months. How's life?"

"Missions, women and drinking." He grinned rakishly. "The usual."

A genuine smile appeared on her face. "You're terrible, Genma."

"It is polite to greet the rest of us as well, Sakura," came a bland comment from Shino.

She turned to the other ANBU and laughed. A part of her missed this, missed them. "Hello, Shino. How have you been?" she asked, carefully not looking at Itachi, even though she could feel his eyes on her.

"As well as can be expected without a medic in the squad," he replied.

A forced laugh broke from her. "No one's stopping you from getting a new medic."

Both Genma and Shino turned pointedly towards their captain. Right, she cringed inwardly. This was the dreaded moment, then.

Slowly, she turned until she was face to face with Itachi's masked figure. Something ached within her at the knowledge that they were standing close enough to touch, and her breath wanted to leave her in a rush. She felt lightheaded, and she felt stupid for it. After three months of no direct contact, she was still affected by him.

Outwardly, she smiled cordially. "Uchiha-san."

"Haruno."

They were back to surnames, she thought, suddenly feeling the urge to laugh. Not laugh in amusement, but in the bitterness of knowing just how much things had changed between them. Well, she could handle this the way she had handled the past three months. She would not let him know that he had affected her in any way.

"Oi, what's with the formality, you two?" Genma asked.

"It is awkward," Shino pointed out. "They broke up, after all."

Thanks, Shino, Sakura thought dryly. One could always count on Shino to point out the obvious, especially when it was embarrassing or painful.

Genma rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, yes."

A heavy silence descended upon them.

She had to get out of her before she lost her composure. With that thought, she forced out another smile, feeling as if her face might crack with the effort.

"Well, I'd better go. Kakashi and the rest are waiting for me outside."

000

* * *

000

Itachi could not take his eyes off her.

He was thankful that he had not removed his mask for the small barrier afforded him some privacy. The unexpectedness of having Sakura so close brought forth everything that he had fought to suppress over the past months. He was inundated by so many emotions, emotions that he had never thought he was capable of experiencing, but mostly, he felt… longing.

He longed for Sakura.

And it was only the tight control he held over himself and the reminder that she should be with Sasuke prevented him from doing anything about it. As far as he knew, Sasuke had not made a move. Itachi did not know if he wanted his brother to do so sooner, or later. Either way, it would not be pleasant. And therefore, he should continue to distance himself from her the way he had been doing recently.

And yet, now that she was right in front of him, he could not stop his eyes from running over her.

Sakura looked a little weary, but that was usual for all new ANBU recruits. They'd already been on several missions, it seemed. Rumor also had it that Hatake's ANBU squad was one of the best ANBU squads to form recently, but that did not surprise him. They worked particularly well together, after all.

A part of him wondered if the weariness could be attributed to their separation, and it was the same part that fervently hoped not. But he knew that he had hurt her badly then with his deliberately cold words. It had been necessary, for he knew that she would seek him out otherwise. And that would not do. The separation had to be irreparable.

Outwardly, she had taken it well, but her bewilderment at his words was unmistakable. Had she gotten over their 'relationship' now, or was she experiencing the same sort of deadened pain that he felt each time he thought of her? He could not tell, for the woman standing in front of him now gave away nothing in the way she held herself.

It was more likely the former, for she clearly did not wish to be near him, judging by the way she was attempting to leave. He could not blame her for her aversion towards him; he had caused it himself.

"Oh, come on, Sakura. We haven't seen each other for a while. Let's go for lunch," Genma invited. "It'll be like old times."

Her chuckle was forced, and it hurt Itachi to hear it. And then she shook her head. "I'm afraid not this time, Genma. I'm heading to Ichiraku with the rest of my team."

Genma opened his mouth, no doubt to persuade her, but the emergence of another figure stilled his words. Clad in full ANBU gear, like the rest of them, Hyuuga Neji strode towards them.

"Sakura," he greeted, stopping beside her.

"Neji!"

The obvious relief in Sakura's voice grated at Itachi. She was clearly happy to see the Hyuuga, seeing how she immediately latched on to his arm. Itachi felt a piercing pain within him when he observed just how comfortable they were with each other. And the silent look exchanged between them did not go unnoticed, either.

The Hyuuga inclined his head in acknowledgement at them before turning his attention back to the pink-haired kunoichi. "I need to speak to you. It will only take a few minutes."

Sakura nodded, and then glanced around to wave at them. "I'll see you all around, okay?"

And with that, she walked back up the stairs with the Hyuuga, leaving Itachi to stare after them with a feeling of irritation that he knew he had no right to.

"Taishou?"

"Hm?"

"You okay?" Genma asked, casually, but there was a barely veiled hint of concern in his tone.

"Aa."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Shino elbow Genma not so discreetly.

Turning to face them fully, he finally removed his mask. There was no need for it now.

Sakura was no longer there.

000

* * *

000

Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk outside the administration building, staring silently at the door. Nearby, Naruto and Sasuke were arguing about something, but Kakashi ignored them. He was more concerned about the female member of his newly formed ANBU squad.

Sakura might think that she was hiding it well, and he conceded that she was, to those who had not watched her grow up.

However, Kakashi knew better. He had seen the way her eyes would glaze over in sadness when she thought no one was looking and how she would fall into a contemplative silence for no apparent reason. Incredibly, her performance as a kunoichi was not affected by this affliction of hers. In fact, she was more determined. It did not escape his notice that her attacks had been far more powerful and violent than they needed to be. Her work seemed to be her escape.

Kakashi was not stupid. Whatever Uchiha Itachi felt towards Sakura, Kakashi knew that a part of it was true affection. One simply could not fake that particular light in one's eyes when gazing at the recipient of said affection. And he guessed Sakura returned the feelings as well.

And then the so-called separation had occurred. It had been that day when Uchiha Itachi had approached them while they were having lunch in Ichiraku. Even then, he could tell from the Uchiha's countenance that the ANBU captain had something unpleasant to say to Sakura. It had been difficult to miss, actually. Uchiha Itachi was uncharacteristically cold towards Sakura.

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had warned the Uchiha then. It had been a subtle warning, but he was certain that the ANBU captain had understood perfectly. Unfortunately, it did not seem to have helped any. They had broken up, leaving Sakura hurt and angry.

And she was still hurting and angry.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Taking his gaze away from the door, he slanted an eye at Naruto, who was peering at him questioningly. "Hm?"

"What's with that face?"

"You can see my face, Naruto?" He pretended to tug his mask up.

Exasperated, Naruto huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, your forehead is all wrinkled. Like you're thinking real hard."

Wrinkled? He did not have wrinkles, Kakashi thought, offended. The little brat had some nerve.

"Eh, isn't that Itachi, Sasuke?"

"Hm."

"Where's Sakura, then?"

Kakashi looked back to the door to find Uchiha Itachi and his squad leaving the building, without Sakura in sight. She must have gone back in for something. Or at least, used that as an excuse.

Suddenly, Sasuke remarked gruffly, "Itachi's been… off. Quieter than usual."

Kakashi's brow rose. That was saying something, considering the fact that Uchiha Itachi was not particularly talkative in the first place. So, it was not only Sakura who was still affected by the break-up. He was growing increasing curious about the entire situation. He still did not understand why Uchiha Itachi did what he had done. It appeared that all it had achieved was to make both of them miserable.

Naruto frowned, confused. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"That relationship between him and Sakura," Sasuke muttered.

"What are you talking about? That was not-" Naruto broke off, and then blinked slowly. "Wait… That was… real?"

Naruto was not so oblivious, after all, Kakashi thought.

"I think Itachi feels something for Sakura," Sasuke admitted, clearly discomfited by the idea.

Naruto looked shocked. For a moment, he did not speak, and then he asked, "What do you think, Kakashi-sensei?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "Looks like it."

Naruto frowned. "They broke up months ago."

"The mission dictated that they break up when Daisuke's caught," Sasuke pointed out. "So they broke up."

"But why did they do it if they are really together?" Naruto asked, bewildered. "That doesn't make sense."

"No, it doesn't," Kakashi agreed.

"Maybe it's only your brother. Maybe Sakura doesn't like him that way," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke exhaled slowly. "Maybe she doesn't."

Alright, maybe Naruto was _still_ a little oblivious, Kakashi thought with an inward sigh. Then again, maybe he could not blame the blonde. Sakura was a surprisingly convincing actress. However, he was surprised that Sasuke had not picked up on it. Perhaps it was because the boy hardly had any experience in such things.

"Yeah, how could she even like your brother, Teme?" Naruto pointed out with a scowl.

"Do not insult Itachi!" Sasuke snapped.

"I'm not insulting him. I'm just saying Sakura doesn't like him like that."

Deciding that the argument was ridiculous, Kakashi remarked, "Sakura is more affected that you think."

Naruto blinked. "Oh."

Sasuke frowned.

"So… So that's why she seems sad sometimes," Naruto muttered.

"Probably," Kakashi agreed.

The three of them fell into a thoughtful silence, each mulling over the situation. Kakashi knew that like him, Naruto and Sasuke would like Sakura to be happy. And it was beginning to appear as if Sakura was not planning to help out on that end.

Should they interfere?

Kakashi supposed as close as they were, the possibility was there. But what could they do? Uchiha Itachi was immovable once he decided on something. And Sakura clearly had her pride and anger and hurt to stop her from approaching the ANBU captain.

"There she is! We're here, Sakura!" Naruto hollered.

"She can see us, Dobe. She's coming right this way," Sasuke muttered. "What is _he_ doing with her?"

Kakashi's eye landed on the tall figure of Hyuuga Neji walking by Sakura's side. They seemed to be deep in discussion, judging by the small frown on Sakura's forehead.

"Neji, join us for lunch?" Naruto invited immediately.

Sasuke bristled, much to Kakashi's amusement. The competitiveness between those two never seemed to end, but it might have something to do with the fact that they came from rival clans. As he watched Sakura and Neji approach, something occurred to him.

And a plan began to take root in his mind.

000

* * *

000

Itachi sat stiffly across the room from the elders and his father. There were three elders, each wearing a stern expression as they regarded him thoughtfully. Itachi simply returned their perusal unblinkingly.

He knew why he was being summoned. The clan meeting few nights ago, which he had missed due to a mission, and the fact that his father was there, told him much about their intentions. It was something that he had hoped to avoid for longer, but it seemed that he had run out of time.

"Itachi, we've called you here to speak to you about your current status," one of the elders began.

Itachi nodded once, waiting for them to continue.

"We have been through this before, and we're certain you're aware of your duties to this clan."

He responded evenly, "Yes."

"Then we hope that you'd reconsider the separation between you and Haruno Sakura."

Itachi stiffened. He had not expected this. What he had expected was yet another arranged marriage. The topic of Sakura was an unsettling one, and he truly did not wish to discuss it, especially with the elders. He darted a glance at his father, who simply sat silently with a grim expression on his face. Fugaku had not spoken once in this meeting, and Itachi wondered why.

"The separation is final," he managed to respond.

"Perhaps you should speak to her again. And resolve any misunderstandings you may have." The elder's lips tightened. "We may not have fully approved of her initially, as unconventional as she was as a candidate, but we are disappointed that it did not progress as planned."

Itachi felt an odd pressure within him at the mention of the failed engagement. Ignoring it, he said calmly, "Extenuating circumstances prevented it."

"We heard. She was not able to envisage herself living in the compound."

"Aa."

"Surely you could persuade her?"

"No," Itachi responded resolutely. "I will not force the unwilling."

"We are more gracious than the Hyuuga."

So, they had found out about that as well. It was surprising that they still pressed him to speak to her, considering her previous association with a Hyuuga.

"Sakura had made her decision."

One of the elders huffed. "Youngsters today make too much out of nothing. She would adapt like every Uchiha wife in the compound."

"Her temperament will not allow it." Itachi's tone was clipped.

"At least-"

"No." Itachi stood up abruptly, having heard enough. "I do not wish to speak of this any further. Haruno Sakura and I separated three months ago. She is no longer an option."

"You still need to wed, Itachi."

"It is noted."

Without waiting for a response, Itachi made his way to the shoji screen. The unwanted pressure from the clan and his own unresolved emotions concerning Sakura were fraying his temper gradually, and he refused to display any form of emotional weakness before these old men. He had to leave.

"We are not finished, Itachi."

He ignored the elder and continued to walk.

"Itachi, this is your responsibility and you are shirking it," one of them admonished disapprovingly. "You're the heir, or have you forgotten?"

Something snapped within him then, and Itachi spun around to face the wrinkled features of the Uchiha elder. Did the fact that he was the heir mean that they had the right to order him about and interfere in his personal affairs? Perhaps he had been too passive in the past. Perhaps was time to let them know that he would not be coerced or threatened into anything.

His expression hard, he told them, "Perhaps you should consider another heir then."

They gasped in shock, but Itachi pushed the screen open and walked out. The moment the screen slid shut, he heard his father's voice.

"I warned you not to push him."

Itachi inhaled deeply, and continued to walk.

His temper was closer to the surface these days, and it unsettled him. However, the elders had meddled enough. The urge to blame them for the situation between him and Sakura was strong, but Itachi knew that he was not blameless.

Itachi gritted his teeth in annoyance as he strode into his room and slid the door shut. Once assured of his privacy, he allowed a scowl to surface.

It had only been three months since his broken engagement, and they were already pressuring him.

And he knew that things would only get worse for him in the clan.

Especially once Sasuke decided to pursue Sakura.

000

* * *

000

The sound of even taps on the door rang through the apartment.

Sakura sat up, yawning widely before she got to her feet and walked out of her bedroom. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was only nine in the morning. Immediately, a scowl appeared on her face. Who would knock on her door so early in the morning on her day off? It could not be Naruto, because the knocks sounded much too… polite.

Two more taps came just as Sakura reached the door.

She yanked it open to reveal the figure of her uninvited visitor.

And frowned.

"Neji?" she blurted out. "What are you doing here?"

Lips quirking slightly as he ran his pale eyes over her obviously less-than-pristine condition, he asked, "Still sleeping, Sakura?"

She rolled her eyes, and then stepped away from the doorway to allow him in. "Don't you dare make any comments about my appearance."

He shrugged as he walked in. "It is fortunate that I don't have to wake up beside you every morning then."

"What did I say about comments?" she growled as she sat down on the couch, running her fingers through her hair to smooth it down. "So, what brings you here?"

Neji dropped a bag in front of her on the coffee table and opened it. "Breakfast."

Sakura's mouth watered as the scent of fresh food wafted right into her face. She had not realized that she was so hungry. Reaching out, she grabbed a cup of what smelled like green tea and brought it to her lips.

"Neji, I could kiss you," she breathed out gratefully as she took a careful sip of the hot beverage, letting the liquid warm her insides.

"I would not object," he returned with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

She chuckled. "A platonic kiss, that's it!"

"Did I suggest otherwise?"

Shaking her head, she ignored him in favor of breakfast. He must have gotten the food from the shop on his way here, because she recognized the packaging. There were rice, eggs, some pickles and miso soup, all packed in little plastic containers.

Neji sat beside her as she ate, idly flicking through a weapons catalogue she had left on the coffee table. She wondered why he was here, because as grateful as she was for breakfast, Neji must have another reason for coming here so early in the morning.

After a while, when she had almost finished, he replaced the catalogue on the coffee table and turned to face her.

"How are you doing?"

She swallowed before answering. "What do you mean? I'm doing okay, I guess. We have a mission lined up for this weekend, so Naruto's all excited and can't stop talking about it." She shook her head in exasperation. "It's supposed to be confidential, so I hope he's not talking about it to others."

"Naruto knows when to stop. But that's not what I meant."

"What then?"

"The situation with Uchiha Itachi."

His name immediately brought forth a mix of anger and hurt, diminishing her appetite. Dropping her chopsticks, she reached out for the cup of tea and took a sip. She knew Neji was still waiting for an answer. He knew the truth about them, and he was the only person who did. She could not even tell Ino because she did not want the lectures and the advices which would no doubt come from her blonde friend if she found out about the truth.

"What about him? I'm fine so long as I don't see him."

"I see." He paused, and then commented casually, "Apparently, the Uchiha clan is pressuring Itachi to wed. Again."

Sakura froze, and then lowered her cup from her lips. The thought of Itachi getting married to some unnamed woman made her stomach churn uneasily. But she knew it had to happen some day, right? He was the Uchiha heir, and therefore, he was expected to marry and start working on little Sharingan-wielding babies.

"And why are you telling me this?" she asked in a strained voice.

"I thought you should know. People might make certain comments to you, since you were engaged to him once." He held up a hand. "I know it's not real, but to the rest of Konoha, it is."

She did not want to talk about it. "Is there something else we could talk about?"

Ignoring her, Neji went on, "Rumor is, Itachi threatened to give up his position."

Why was Neji persisting with this? Angered, she slammed her cup down by her side, spilling what was left of her tea. "I don't want to talk about this, Neji."

"You don't have to," he replied calmly. "Just listen."

What was wrong with him? Why did he want to talk about Itachi suddenly? As far as she knew, they did not really get along. The barely restrained hostility was unmistakable, each time Neji and Itachi had come face to face, especially when she was involved.

Hissing, she sat back against the back of the couch. "How do you know all this anyway? You don't gossip, and you're not exactly best friends with the Uchiha."

"Sasuke told me."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Am I missing something here? _Sasuke _told you?"

"We were all in the bath when the topic came up. Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi and I."

Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi and Neji in the hot bath… Sakura quickly brushed away the imagery of the four of them dripping wet in the shared bath. It would not do to think of these four in such an inappropriate way.

Fixing a stubborn look on him, she retorted, "Well, like I said before, I prefer not to talk about it. And you know why."

He sighed. "Yes. I know."

"So, tell me about what's going on with you and that girl," she demanded, changing the topic.

Neji's cheeks reddened slightly. "You mean Ayumi."

"Who else?" She grinned. "Last I heard, you were going to ask her out. So, did you?"

"No."

Sakura stared at him disbelievingly. "You didn't? Neji, you told me you were going to ask her out something like two weeks ago!"

"I didn't say when I would ask her out. I was merely considering the possibility," he defended.

She huffed irritably. "She's going to be snatched up right before your eyes if you're not careful."

Neji frowned thoughtfully, looking a little anxious.

Sakura was about to press him to hurry up and make a move when a series of knocks sounded on her door.

"Alright, now who is it?" she grumbled, about to get up, but a hand on her shoulder stilled her movements.

"I'll get it. You finish your tea."

000

* * *

000

Itachi froze when the door opened, revealing the figure of a pale-eyed shinobi. Surreptitiously gathering his composure, he inclined his head at the other man, who was eyeing him questioningly.

"Hyuuga-san," he greeted evenly. He refused to consider the implication of the man's presence in Sakura's apartment so early in the morning.

"Uchiha-san," the Hyuuga returned. He gestured over his shoulders. "I assume you came to see Sakura?"

Itachi nodded, glancing past the Hyuuga into the living room to see Sakura standing up, wearing nothing but her sleeping attire. Their eyes met over the distance, and he could tell that she was surprised and far from pleased to see him. He immediately thought back to his meeting with the elders. If he had any intention of obeying the elder's orders, Sakura's expression today convinced him that he would certainly fail in persuading her to return to him.

She was walking toward them now, stopping only when she stood by the Hyuuga's side, completely blocking the doorway. Itachi felt his heart contract painfully at the sight.

"Uchiha-san, how may I help?" she asked politely.

"The Hokage wishes to see us. It is about Uchiha Daisuke."

"Oh. I take it the sentence is out then."

"It seems so."

She nodded expressionlessly. "I'll get changed. You don't have to wait for me."

Itachi knew that he should leave. Instead, he said, "I will wait."

"Suit yourself."

Turning away from him, she looked up at the Hyuuga. "Sorry to cut things short, Neji."

"I'll come again some other time," the Hyuuga said.

Itachi had never felt the level of unease he was currently experiencing, watching the interaction between the two. Once the Hyuuga had left, Sakura's smile faded away as she looked at him.

"I won't be long."

And she walked into the bedroom. It did not escape his notice that she had not invited him into her apartment, but he shook the thought away. She had no reason to invite him in.

As he stood waiting for her, Itachi could not help but wonder if Sakura had rekindled her relationship with the Hyuuga. Sharp anger coursed through him at the thought. He had not released her so that the Hyuuga could step in. He had done it for Sasuke.

Sakura stepped out of her room, dressed in her jounin uniform. Without another word, she pushed past him and locked the door behind her.

"Let's go."

They walked in silence all the way to the Hokage tower, with a respectful distance between them. The urge to reach out to touch her was strong, but Itachi suppressed it. Fortunately, the journey was short, and soon, they were standing within the Hokage's office with Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke, the three whom he had rounded up earlier. He had simply left Sakura till the last.

Tsunade proceeded to update them on the progress of the case since Daisuke's capture. For the past few months, the interrogation department had been working on the many captives from that battle. Only now did they manage to compile sufficient information to persecute the offenders.

"We have all the information we need from him, so Daisuke will be executed tomorrow for treason."

"What about the rest?" Kakashi asked.

"Those who are obviously hired hands are to be released after Ibiki is done with them. We need to make sure they don't hold any damaging information about Konoha." Her expression turned grim. "The rest will share Daisuke's fate."

The Hokage turned to him and gave him a nod. "I've taken into consideration your report on Uchiha Katsuo. You're right. He wishes to return to Konoha. I'll allow him, but he will be on probation for two years, and will not practice as a shinobi until further notice."

Itachi inclined his head. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

The debriefing continued for several minutes more, and then the Hokage dismissed them.

Itachi turned around as they began to file out of the room, his eyes immediately landing on Sakura. She had her back turned to him, and absently, he wondered if every interaction they had would be like that days. And how long it would be before he removed himself completely from the possibility of such interactions.

000

* * *

000

"She will not give in."

Those were the first words Hyuuga Neji uttered when he joined the three men at the local watering hole.

He knew that he had promised Sakura not to speak about the issue with Itachi with others, but he made an exception for these three. They wanted to help her as much as he did, and if she had not gotten over the Uchiha after three months of minimal contact, it was unlikely that she ever would. So he had agreed to participate when the Copy-Nin suggested that they took matters into their own hands.

Kakashi took a sip of his sake before he spoke. "Can't say I'm too surprised."

"Did you tell her?" Naruto asked.

Neji shook his head. "She refused to listen."

"That's just annoying," Naruto groaned. "Neh, Teme, you think your brother will listen?"

Sasuke's brows furrowed. "I don't know."

"But you're going to try, right?"

"He came to her apartment this morning," Neji told them.

"What?" Naruto exclaimed.

"They walked into the meeting together this morning, Dobe," Sasuke pointed out.

"Oh. So he went to get her as well," Naruto thought out loud. "Why didn't he just ask one of us to get her?"

"Perhaps he simply wanted to talk to her," Neji suggested, knowing that it was the most likely scenario.

Idly, he wondered what Uchiha Itachi made of the fact that Sakura was not alone. If what Sasuke had said was true, then Neji doubted that Uchiha Itachi had been pleased to see him with her. However, their brief interaction at the doorway that morning had revealed nothing, for Uchiha Itachi had not allowed a single emotion to surface.

"It doesn't matter now." Kakashi glanced at Sasuke. "You know what you have to do."

"Hm."

Naruto reached over to prod the Uchiha. "Can you look a bit happier about it?" he asked irritably. "We're trying to help Sakura here, remember?"

"Don't push me, Dobe."

Neji flicked his eyes between the two, wondering how they had survived so long as teammates with their volatile relationship. Then again, he had to admit that he still kept in touch with Lee, so perhaps Naruto and Sasuke's relationship was not so unbelievable, after all.

Sasuke stood up. "I'll speak to him."

"Make sure you get him to talk to Sakura," Naruto reminded.

"I know," Sasuke replied irritably as he began to walk away from them.

Neji reached out, fingers clamping around Sasuke's upper arm. The Uchiha froze, and then slowly turned around, giving his hand a pointed look. Slowly, Neji released his grip.

"However this ends, make sure your brother doesn't hurt her anymore than he already did."

"Do not insult my intelligence, Hyuuga."

Neji smirked. "I'm merely uncertain if stupidity ran in the family."

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously, but before he could say a word, Naruto barged between them.

"Go already, Sasuke! What are you waiting for?"

With a grunt, the dark-haired shinobi left the bar.

000

* * *

000

Sasuke walked out of his bedroom and paused. It was still very early in the morning, and both his father and mother were still asleep, judging by the silence and darkness.

Quietly, Sasuke padded across the tatami mat to his brother's bedroom. The light shone through the paper-thin shoji screen, telling Sasuke that Itachi was already awake. He had tried to talk to Itachi last night, but he had been too late. By the time he had returned, everyone was already asleep.

His teammates' words, with the exception of Sakura's of course, rang in his head. Resigning himself to an uncomfortable early-morning conversation, he walked up and tapped on the screen.

"Come in, Sasuke."

He pushed the shoji screen to the side and stepped in, sliding the screen shut behind him. Itachi was seated cross-legged behind a low table, reading through some scrolls.

"Nii-san."

Itachi looked up at him, raising a single questioning brow. Sasuke noticed that the grooves under his eyes were more pronounced and he appeared wearier. It was quite clear that the whole situation with Sakura had affected his oblivious brother.

Sasuke truly did not want to do this. It was embarrassing and awkward for him. However, if it could make both his brother and Sakura happier, then he would endeavor to see this through. Now, the next question was how he should approach this.

Perhaps it was best to tackle the issue head on.

"Why did you break up with Sakura?"

Itachi's immediate reaction was the almost imperceptible stiffening of his shoulders. Something that Sasuke knew he would not even notice if he had not been watching intently for some sort of response.

Itachi's reply, when it came, was bland. "There was no longer a need for the charade. The assignment was completed successfully."

Sasuke had expected the answer, but he had to ask. And then he went on, "You should talk to Sakura."

"Should I?"

Sasuke bit back his irritation. So, this was going to be one of those conversations, was it?

"Nii-san. You're… unhappy," he pointed out.

Itachi looked amused now. "Is that so, Sasuke?"

"Yes," he replied curtly. "And you should do something about it."

"And what might that be?"

Sasuke suppressed his annoyance. "I just told you."

"Aa."

And Itachi looked away from him, a move which was measured and deliberate. Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, irritated by his lack of progress. If not for Sakura…

"Nii-san. She is as unhappy as you are."

"You assume too much, Sasuke."

"I think it's obvious enough," Sasuke returned with a scowl. "Just talk to her. Nothing more."

"I recall we have spoken recently."

"Not about work. About other… things."

Itachi raised a brow. "Perhaps you should elaborate."

Sasuke knew what his brother was doing. Itachi wanted to make him uncomfortable enough to stop the conversation. But he was not planning on giving in to such blatant manipulation. He was not a kid anymore.

"She is very close to Hyuuga Neji," Itachi suddenly said.

"I know."

"You are not troubled by it?"

Sasuke frowned, wondering what this had to do with anything. "I do not like Neji, but he is a good friend to Sakura."

"Just friends," Itachi murmured thoughtfully.

Sasuke shrugged. "I suppose."

"You do not mind losing her then?"

Itachi's tone was harsh, making Sasuke frown in confusion. He really could not see what this had to do with him. This was not about him. However, he could tell that Itachi was growing increasingly unsettled as the conversation progressed into this new territory. In fact, Sasuke could not help but feel a little anxious. Itachi could be unpredictable when he was in a temper, as rare as such a thing was.

"Nii-san," he ventured again. "This has nothing to do with me. You clearly have… feelings for her. It's not like you to _not_ pursue something you want."

Face set in a stony expression, Itachi stood up abruptly. "Do you not desire her for yourself? Or have you exhausted your own interest in her?"

Shock rooted Sasuke to the spot. His mind whirred with the implication of his brother's words. As ridiculous as it was, it sounded like Itachi thought he was romantically involved with Sakura. But this was clearly not right. He had been confused for a while a few months ago, but he had eventually come to the conclusion that his feelings for Sakura did not extend in that direction. She was a close friend, one whom he had come to appreciate.

"Answer me, Sasuke," Itachi bit out.

Self preservation dictated that he took a step back, and Sasuke did exactly that. However, he would not be swayed from what he came to say. Especially now that he was beginning to understand why exactly Itachi had broken up with Sakura despite his own feelings.

He needed to set this right. It seemed that Itachi had broken up with Sakura because Itachi assumed he, Sasuke, wanted to be with Sakura, and had stepped aside. The notion that his older brother rather sacrificed his own happiness like that made Sasuke appreciate just how much his brother cared for him.

Steeling himself, Sasuke said, "You seem to think that I'm interested in her."

"Do you not?" Itachi asked icily.

Sasuke spoke carefully. "I care for her. Maybe even love her-"

Itachi's eyes flickered, and this time, Sasuke was close enough to see the pain in Itachi's dark orbs before it was hidden behind the impassive mask again.

"And I suspect I always will." Sasuke continued, "Because she's my teammate and one of my best friends. Nothing more and nothing less. There is nothing of a romantic nature between us. Sakura is free to date whomever she wants." Within reason, he added silently.

Itachi tensed, staring at Sasuke as if he could not understand what he was saying. His already fair complexion appeared to be turning paler, though.

"Nii-san, why do you think there's something going on between me and Sakura?"

Slowly, Itachi responded with a question. "Have you considered the notion of courting her?"

The last thing he wanted to do was to dredge that up, but it could not be helped. "I did, but it went nowhere. No, I'm not planning on courting her. Naruto helped me see that I don't want her in the romantic sense."

"How."

Sasuke twitched. "I do not want to… kiss her. Couldn't see myself doing so."

There was a flare of something dangerous in Itachi's eyes, but Sasuke stood his ground this time. Itachi was only reacting because he was possessive of Sakura. And for Sakura's sake, Sasuke hoped that she would be able to take Itachi's brand of attention.

"Sakura has… feelings for you, Nii-san." After a pause, Sasuke added, "So just go talk to her, alright? Fix things."

And then, in a blink of an eye, Itachi was gone from the room without a further word.

Finally, Sasuke thought as he stared at the empty space which had been occupied by Itachi just a moment ago. It had taken his oblivious brother long enough. He remembered Neji's warning, and the fact that he had said nothing to Itachi about it.

Sasuke shook his head.

Itachi would rather willingly hurt himself than Sakura.

000

* * *

000

Chin propped up on one hand, Sakura stared at the silver-haired shinobi seated across the table as she chewed the end of her pen, waiting for him to say something.

When Kakashi continued to look lost in his own thoughts, she sighed and glanced around the room. They were sitting in what could be considered a common room in the ANBU headquarters, trying to get their report done. Besides them, there were a handful of other ANBU operatives scattered around the large room, sitting on the old couch drinking coffee and discussing missions. One was even snoozing on the desk in the corner.

She returned her attention to the Copy-Nin. Kakashi was sure taking his time thinking over what to say, or was it too early in the morning for him to function? Too bad, they did not have much time left. The report for the mission they had gone on a week ago was due on Tsunade's desk by the end of the day, and Sakura was beginning to wonder if Kakashi had forgotten what it was all about. Otherwise, it could be a deliberate ploy of his, annoying her until she caved and did that report for him.

No. She refused to do it out of principle. Kakashi was the team leader, after all, and should be doing the report. The only problem was, the last few reports had ended up being thrown back at them by Tsunade, and Sakura had ended up rewriting them again. So this time, she wanted to make sure that they submitted a decently written report. Tsunade was clearly stricter on ANBU reports.

"Ah… So who took out the assassin? Naruto or Sasuke?" he suddenly asked.

Sakura groaned out loud, slumping forward onto the desk. "Kakashi-sensei… Those two didn't do it. You did."

Comprehension dawned in his single visible eye. "Ah. I remember now. One Chidori to the chest."

Sakura groaned out loud. She was doomed to stay there the entire day, it would seem, Sakura thought dejectedly. Well, she could always do the whole report and ask Kakashi to sign it at the end, if she was desperate enough.

The sound of the door opening some distance behind her registered, but she ignored it. However, she could see that Kakashi had his eyes on whomever that had just entered.

Then she felt the uncomfortable pinprick at the back of neck, followed by the alarming realization that a particular someone was standing right behind her.

"Sakura."

Her first response was the shock that he was once again using her first name. Composing her expression, she turned around slowly until he came into view. He was casually dressed in his clan attire, she noticed.

"Uchiha-san."

It seemed like the entire room had paused whatever they were doing to watch the exchange, much to Sakura's chagrin. However, she kept her attention on the dark-haired man, and a tight grip on her emotions.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"Come with me."

The words rang ominously in her head. Those were the same words Itachi had used months ago just before he broke her heart into pieces. And damn it, she would not allow him to do the same thing again. Whatever he wanted to say, he could say it here.

"Not a good idea," she replied with a wry twist of her lips.

Surprise flashed briefly across his features, before the mask came up again. "Why not?" he asked.

She returned her eyes to the scroll before her. Stay calm, she told herself as she wrote another couple of pointless words. There was no need to be hostile. Itachi might have a valid, _impersonal_, reason for seeking her out.

"I'm in the middle of something. And you can always say whatever you came to say here," she told him evenly.

His eyes flickered, and then he scanned the room. Sakura could tell that he was reluctant to talk although there were only Kakashi and a handful of other ANBU operatives there. Which suited her just fine. There was really nothing left for them to say to each other and she just wanted him to keep his distance so that she did not have to feel this awful mix of feelings.

"It is… personal."

No! She closed her eyes, exhaling loudly. "Is this absolutely necessary?"

"Yes."

"Can it wait?"

"No."

What else did she expect him to say? When Uchiha Itachi wanted something, he wanted it there and then. Well, tough. He was not getting what he wanted so easily this time. Irritated now, she turned to him and lowered her voice.

"Is this about our past relationship?"

He nodded.

"Look, I'd prefer not to have a conversation about that, if that's alright with you."

He tensed slightly. "We need to speak… Sakura."

This time, she almost groaned at the sound of her name from his lips. What happened to impersonal surnames? Why was he reverting back to this? Was the man trying to drive her out of her mind?

The loud sound of chair scraping against floor rang out, and Sakura glanced across the table to see Kakashi getting up and stretching.

"I'm going for a drink," he announced.

Her eyes widened. "A drink? It's morning!"

"Well, tea, then."

"The reports-"

He waved dismissively. "I'll do it later."

Her lips parted in surprise. Kakashi never wanted to do reports. That was how it had been for years. And all this because he did not want to remain in that room? The coward!

"Anyone up for a drink? Tea?" Kakashi called out loudly. "My treat."

This time, she gasped out loud. Kakashi treating anyone _anything_ was unheard of. And of course, the room reacted favorably, enthusiastically to his invitation. One would not turn down such a rare thing, after all, Sakura thought sourly.

In seconds, the room was cleared, leaving her and Itachi alone.

The urge to punt Kakashi across Konoha was almost overwhelming. Just wait until she caught hold of the manipulative little-

"Sakura."

Why the sound of her name in his voice made her feel all out of sorts when it barely affected her before? It did not matter. What mattered now was letting him say whatever he came to say so that she could remove herself from his presence as fast as she could afterwards.

Her hand tightened around her pen. She was handling things reasonably well for the past three months, and she really did not need this.

Suddenly, something Neji had said recently came to her and her eyes widened.

No, he would not have the nerve to ask her to help him out with his little problem in the clan again, would he? After what Neji had told her, it was possible that Itachi was once again on the prowl for gullible, love-sick kunoichi who'd save him from a true marriage.

Realizing that she might be letting her imagination run away from her, she quickly stopped that line of thought.

"What is it?" she asked evenly.

"There is something I wish to explain."

She waited, watching as he seemed to struggle silently for the words. His lips thinned briefly, and then he let out an almost imperceptible exhale of breath.

"I made an erroneous decision."

Her brows shot up at the unexpected declaration. After a moment, she asked warily, "What do you mean, an erroneous decision?"

"Our separation. I had every intention of continuing our relationship after the mission… in the view of making it permanent."

Sakura inhaled sharply at his proclamation, her eyes wide with disbelief. For a moment, it simply did not make sense. What was he saying? If he wanted to continue, then why the hell did he end it without a single explanation?

"I-I don't understand," she said shakily.

His expression tightened, as if in pain. But it was only a brief flash. When he spoke again, his features were impassive. "I was under the impression that Sasuke wishes to court you. There was a conversation between Naruto and Sasuke that I've overheard. It led to my decision to… step aside."

Her breath suspended in her chest, and something cold rushed over her.

"I have since been informed that I had assumed wrongly. That Sasuke had no such intentions towards you." He inhaled deeply. "I regret my actions. I shouldn't have… ended the relationship."

His words hit her hard, and Sakura could hear the blood thundering in her ears.

He regretted it? He broke her into so many pieces that she still was not fully recovered now, and he _regretted_ it? The cold rush turned into something hot as Sakura felt her temper rise. And fury set in quickly afterwards.

"You… You…" she faltered, so angry and hurt that she could not get the words out.

He had put her through all this heartache just because he had overheard Naruto and Sasuke's discussion about her and had arrived at the wrong conclusion? Did it not occur to him to speak to any of them about it before he went and made all the decisions all by himself?

Furthermore, how could he even consider the possibility of her and Sasuke? After what they had together, how could he even think of stepping aside to let Sasuke have a chance at her? What the hell? She was not some object to be passed around.

Itachi continued to watch her silently, but the blank mask was not so intact now. There was frustration and regret in his countenance.

But what about it? After all this, what did he want from her? Forgiveness?

Unable to face him any longer, Sakura spun around and stormed out of the room.

000

* * *

000

Itachi closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

It had not gone well. In fact, it was worse than he had expected.

Opening his eyes, Itachi went to the nearby table and sat on its edge. What had he expected, exactly? He had caused both of them unnecessary distress over the past few months. Sakura was understandably displeased at him for it. It was only moments ago that he had understood the extent of her distress.

She had been masking her emotions the last time they had spoken, and had done so well that he had failed to see the betrayal, anger and hurt underneath her mask. He had broken her trust, belittling her feelings for him when he had broken up with her.

Did she still have any feelings for him now? If she felt the same way for him as he did for her, perhaps she would relent after he had given her some time to consider what he had just told her. Perhaps he should wait until she had calmed down.

However, the notion did not sit well with him.

No, that would not do. He did not wish to wait passively any longer. It was not how he usually resolved issues, and he had no intention of beginning now. He might be guilty of wrongdoing this time, but he would not step back, trite and remorseful. That simply achieved nothing.

Straightening from the desk, he made his way across the room to the door, fully intending to find the pink-haired kunoichi, who had become someone central to his life.

"Wait."

Itachi stilled at the unexpected sound of the Copy-Nin's voice.

When he turned around, he found Hatake Kakashi outside the window, leaning against the window sill. The silver-haired shinobi might appear relaxed, but Itachi could see the steely glint in his eye.

"She didn't stay around for long, I see," Kakashi mused, scanning the room.

"No she did not."

"You're going after her?"

Itachi nodded curtly, unsurprised by the Copy-nin's perception.

"You did a pathetic job the last time I asked you to leave her in one piece," Kakashi pointed out evenly, but he was clearly annoyed.

Itachi's lips thinned.

"If you hurt her again, we won't be just talking about it afterwards."

Itachi bristled inwardly at the warning, but he knew that Sakura's teammates cared very much for her. For that, he would allow the Copy-Nin to speak to him in that manner without retaliation. Besides, he had no intention of further distressing Sakura. That would not work in his favor in the long term.

"Understood," he responded smoothly. A brief pause followed before he remarked, "I was under the impression that you were treating our comrades to drinks."

"Ah, that…" Kakashi's eye creased. "They should know me better than to expect that."

A smirk of amusement crossed Itachi's lips as the Copy-Nin disappeared from the window opening, leaving him alone once again in the room.

Without further ado, Itachi walked to the door, intent on finding a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

000

* * *

000

The hospital.

She needed to get to the hospital. It was probably not the best place to hide, but she could not think of anywhere else.

Sakura did not know that it was possible to feel so many emotions and so numb all at the same time. She was angry with Itachi for what he had assumed, sad that they had broken off because of some idiotic misunderstanding, disgusted at herself for running away from the conversation like a coward, confused and fearing what was to come next.

Why after all this time? Why must he come now to upset everything? She was doing fine!

Her inner voice snorted, pointing out that she was far from fine.

Still, she did not need this complication now. She had her friends, her team and her ANBU missions. That was more than enough to keep her busy.

Things she did to keep from thinking too much about Itachi, her inner voice added. Those were the things she had been using as a shield to hide behind.

Sakura exhaled loudly as she continued to walk rapidly along the busy main street, eager to put a great distance between herself and the ANBU headquarters. Away from Uchiha Itachi.

Then she felt it.

She almost stumbled over her own feet when she sensed the sudden emergence of a familiar presence. A hiss left her as she stared straight ahead, refusing to glance backwards at Itachi. She continued to walk, heading straight for the hospital.

He was closer now, so close that she could almost feel his body heat right behind her.

"Sakura," he called out, his breath brushing her hair.

"I'm in a rush."

It was not quite a lie. She was in a rush to get to the hospital, to escape him. Now, if only he would cooperate and leave her alone, everything would be fine.

"Stop," he instructed.

"No. You're the one who need to stop. Stop following me," she hissed, speeding up.

He sounded completely unfazed when he said, "We need to talk."

"And I need some time alone."

Striding rapidly down the street, she avoided catching anyone's eyes. But she knew that people were watching the interaction, and Sakura wanted to simply shout at them to mind their own businesses. Then again, the sight of Uchiha Itachi trailing her like this was not a common one, so in a way, their curiosity was justified. But she did not care. This was private!

"We could go somewhere else," he offered calmly.

This time, she stopped abruptly and spun around. Her breath threatened to hitch at the sight of him so close to her, so close that if she leaned forward just a couple of inches, they would be touching. She immediately took a step backwards, separating them by an arm's length.

Glaring at him, she snapped, "I want to be ALONE, not with you. I need to THINK!"

"It is why you should not be alone. You will over think matters," he pointed out quietly.

She fumed. "And so what? So what if I want to do that?"

"Be reasonable, Sakura."

She felt a vein pop.

"REASONABLE?" She snorted. "I think I'm being reasonable. If I'm not, I'd have punched a hole through your head for what you've just told me just now. If I'm not reasonable, I'd have done that three months ago for making me feel like hell!"

His eyes flickered around them. "Do you truly wish for the public to hear our conversation?"

"We are NOT having a conversation," she spat in a tone of finality and then spun around to walk away.

Then, much to her indignation, he grabbed her around the waist. Blinded by a cloud of smoke, she felt herself being pulled up in that familiar sensation which told her that a transportation jutsu was being used. When her feet hit the ground and the smoke from around her cleared, she wretched herself away from Itachi.

A quick glance around told her that he had brought them to her apartment. Her eyes then landed on Itachi. He was simply standing by her couch, staring at her intently. Calmly. How could he be so calm when she felt so churned up? And what was so important that he had to do this to her?

"Get out," she snapped, pointing to the door.

"Sakura. Listen."

"What else do you have to say?"

He stared at her silently.

A brittle laugh left her. "See? You really don't have much left to say, do you?"

Itachi remained silent.

"I'm going to my bedroom. Don't even think to follow me," she warned in a jagged voice.

Her hand closed around the doorknob, fully intending to slam the door shut after her.

"Sakura. Please."

She stopped then, her chest heaving with the effort of controlling her temper and the tears which were precariously close to the surface. Itachi was pleading for her to stop, and she had not heard him use that tone before. Somehow, she simply could not make herself slam the door in his face.

Instead, months of emotion welled up within her. It was because he was so close… so close. And he would not leave her alone. Why now? Why after so many months? Did he not understand that she could not handle more of this from him? She was barely hanging on as it was.

"W-What do you want from me, Itachi?" she asked shakily.

000

* * *

000

Itachi almost flinched at the raw, desperate pain in her voice. Her face was averted, and something told him that she would not appreciate him looking at her.

Then, a shudder ran through her. Slowly, her shoulders began to shake, and her head bowed forward.

She was sobbing.

His breath left him in a rush, and in a blink of an eye, he was right behind her.

He reached out slowly, hesitantly, until his fingers pressed against her trembling shoulder. She tensed at his touch, but did not push him away. For a long moment, he simply stood there, his palm against her, his other hand limp by his side, not knowing how to proceed.

The urge to surround her with himself was strong. He wanted to comfort her, to let her know that he would do all he could to make amends.

So he moved closer, sliding his arms around her trembling body, hoping that she would not reject his touch. Laying his cheek upon the top of her head, he breathed in deeply, taking in her scent. He had missed this. He had missed her and he wished to have her back.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her hair.

She tensed momentarily, and then her trembling intensified. That was when Itachi heard a choked sob. His throat tightened, making it difficult for him to speak.

"Do not do this to yourself, Sakura."

She shifted slightly within his arms, her hand coming up to her swipe over her face. "W-Why?"

He blinked. Why?

"Why didn't you even talk to me about it?" she choked out. "I-I thought we had something real. That it was not an act."

"It is not an act."

"Then why did you-"

"It was a mistake," he interjected quickly.

His arms fell off her when she spun towards him, her eyelashes glistening with tears. Her expression, however, was fierce. "So you keep saying. But why?" she demanded harshly.

He inhaled deeply. "Sasuke. I did not want him to be unhappy."

Her eyes narrowed. "Because you thought he's in love with me?"

Itachi nodded once.

Sakura clenched and unclenched her hands, a furious expression on her face. "And what about you, Itachi? And what about me?"

"I was under the impression that you used to have… feelings for Sasuke."

"Used to!" she exploded, slamming a hand hard against his chest.

Itachi flinched at the sting of her attack, but stood still. It was fortunate that she had not used any chakra, or he would no longer be standing there.

"I told Sasuke I love him when I was TWELVE, you idiot!" she snarled, slamming her palm on his chest again. "Do you think I'd kiss you the way I did if I was in love with your brother?"

Itachi closed his eyes in defeat. He was feeling increasingly foolish as the day progressed, all because of something he had assumed. Sakura was correct in questioning why he had not spoken to her about it. Or spoken to anyone else, for that matter. For if he had done so, then this confrontation need not happen.

"And you didn't answer my question, Itachi. What do you want from me now?"

He opened his eyes and exhaled loudly, knowing that he was not in the position to demand anything, but wanting to do so regardless. So he settled for the simple truth.

"Everything. And I will give you the same."

She was clearly shocked by his answer. Her mouth parted, drawing his attention to her damp lips. His hand came up of its own volition, and his thumb traced her bottom lip slowly. He could feel the warm exhale of her breath against his thumb and he shivered in reaction.

Uncertain of the response he would receive, but unable to resist any longer, Itachi lowered his lips to hers. A choked sound burst from her just before she reached up for him, pulling him downwards, fusing their lips together. They fell against the door, but he did not release his hold, and neither did she.

Heat flooded his body as the kiss intensified. Needing more contact with her, his hands slid further down, over her curves and then under her ANBU vest. He felt her breath hitch in reaction to his caresses, and that fuelled his desire even further. He could hear his breath growing increasingly uneven, his senses filled only with the responsive woman in his arms. Her scent, her heat, and the sounds she was making.

With each of Sakura's breathy moans, Itachi felt his control slipping further away from him. They needed to stop. Now was not the appropriate time to take this to the next level. Things were still too new, wounds closed too recently and the feelings underneath still raw.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sakura pulled back slightly, breaking the contact between their lips. Her hands, however was still clutching his neck, and his own dropped down to wrap around her waist.

Forehead against forehead, they held on to each other until their breaths eventually evened out.

Only then did Itachi drew back to look her in the eye. This time, she would be told exactly what his intentions were. He would not leave any room for misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

000

* * *

000

Things were moving so fast. One moment, she had been furious with him and the next, she had cried the tears she had long suppressed. And now, she was in his arms, feeling more complete than she had ever felt for the past few months.

At some point, it had occurred to her that Itachi truly wanted her, or he would not have come to her like this. And then it seemed pointless to protest when it was something she wanted all along.

"I will court you."

Sakura blinked at Itachi's sudden declaration. He was watching her intently, his expression telling her that he meant every word.

"That sounds like a threat, Itachi," she retorted teasingly, unsure how else she should react.

He was clearly not amused, for she found her wrist captured in a firm grip. "Sakura…"

"I'm just a little afraid, I suppose," she admitted, sobering up.

"You do not need to."

Well, she supposed that now the misunderstanding was cleared up, she should look ahead. However, no one knew just how things would turn out this time. So, she took a deep breath and said, "Let's just take it slow."

"We had courted for almost half a year."

"That wasn't real," she pointed out. "Most of it, at the beginning, wasn't real. Even the engagement."

"This time, it will be."

Shocked, her mind scrambled to process his words. In a slightly unsteady voice, she said, "That had better not be a proposal."

"Will you accept?"

She shrugged, but the smile on her lips was enough to answer him.

His grip on her wrist tightened. "Even if you are to reside in the Uchiha compound?"

Her lips parted at the seriousness of his tone. "Um… Don't you think it's too soon to consider that?"

"It is significant." He paused, and then said quietly, "I'm aware of your aversion towards restrictions. If it displeases you, we could reside elsewhere."

"Itachi…"

She did not know what to say. It touched her that he thought so much of her that he would give up his position in the clan, because moving out would mean exactly that. But she did not think it would be fair on him. If he wanted to leave, then it should not be because of her.

"I've lived there for almost a month and survived," she pointed out wryly. "So if I have to, I think I'll manage."

He studied her carefully, as if trying to see if she was simply humoring him.

"Really, Itachi."

"Hm. You will let me know if you changed your mind."

"You're talking as if I've accepted your proposal," she teased. "I haven't, you know."

"You will."

She chuckled, astounded by his confidence. Then again, this was the Itachi she knew and loved. The past hour, however, had also shown her another side of him. An emotional side that she knew she would not be seeing very often.

"Outside," he suddenly said.

"Uh, what?"

"Your teammates."

Sakura's eyes widened as his words sank in.

She jumped up immediately and rushed to the nearest window. The second she looked out of the window, she caught sight of her teammates across the road. Kakashi simply waved at her from the distance, while Naruto and Sasuke stood stock still, staring at her. Their expressions were a curious mix of uncertainty and concern.

A moment later, Naruto flung a fist in the air and hollered something she did not quite catch. What the hell?

It was only when she felt Itachi's arms around her shoulders that she realized what they must have done. Those sneaky little… Just wait until she got her hands on those meddling teammates of hers.

But there was a smile on her lips even as the threat crossed her mind.

And behind her, Itachi tightened his arms and murmured into her hair, "They are meddlesome."

She smiled. "And I love them. They mean well."

"He warned me."

"Who?"

"Hatake."

Stepping away from the window, she turned around in the circle of his arm. "About what?" she asked curiously.

"He warned me not to hurt you."

"Are you intending to?" she asked quietly.

His tone was uncompromising when he declared, "No."

She grinned. "Then we are okay, aren't we?" Sobering up slightly, she said, "Just promise me something."

He arched a brow.

"The next time something happens, talk to me, okay? Don't go off and make decisions all by yourself." She reached up, running her fingers down one cheek. "Because I'm here as well, in this relationship together with you."

"Aa." His eyes flickered. "And you will not keep anything from me."

Puzzled, she frowned slightly. "But I don't."

"Not intentionally." He sighed, looking slightly reluctant to continue, but he did anyway. "I wish to know things that your team knows about you. With the exception of confidential matters."

Comprehension dawned, and Sakura flushed guiltily. "I'm sorry. I just didn't think you'd be interested about my past."

"I am."

Warmth flooded through her. Itachi could be so sweet when he was open like this. "We have time. I'll tell you everything you want to know."

The affection in his eyes was unmistakable as he gazed down at her. "That is acceptable," he said quietly.

Sakura sighed as she rested her head against his chest, feeling the soothing beat of his heart. Yesterday, she could not have envisaged that she would be standing here in Itachi's arm, both resolving to do better for each other, both committed to making this relationship work. But she would not trade this moment for anything else. The contented pleasure currently coursing through her told her that this was where she belonged, close to Itachi.

She did not know how things would pan out for them in the long term. The future was uncertain. It always was. But at the moment, all was right in the world for them.

And she knew that both of them would endeavor to keep it that way.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

A/N: (Happy Beam) And that's a wrap up! Hope you've had fun reading the whole story, as I've had writing it. There had been ups and downs, slow updates and fast updates, but since you've managed to get to this point without abandoning the story, I thank you very much for it. (Hugs) Ahh… feel a bit emotional suddenly! There will definitely be no epilogue, though there is a tiny chance that I might do one shots based on this universe for the 50 shinobi themes. But that's not in the immediate future.

The next story up will either be the sequel to Evil Hair Clip, or a new multichaptered ItaSaku story. But since I'm going on holiday this weekend, I won't be able to get anything up until November, I think. Anyway, hope to see you all again!

:elle6778:


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